Kairat Almaty etched their name into football history on Tuesday night by clinching their first-ever UEFA Champions League group-stage ticket after edging past Celtic 3–2 on penalties in Almaty.
The Kazakh side frustrated the former European champions over two tense legs, both of which ended goalless, before prevailing in a dramatic shootout. Celtic crumbled from the spot, missing three kicks — including a decisive attempt from Daizen Maeda — condemning them to the Europa League.
The hero of the night was 21-year-old goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov, who produced two crucial saves in the shootout. Earlier, he had already kept Kairat alive with a brilliant stop to deny Luke McCowan’s 112th-minute effort.
Despite dominating possession, Celtic were blunt in attack, recording 22 attempts across both fixtures but forcing only eight shots on target.
Rodgers Reacts
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admitted the exit was a bitter setback, blaming not only missed chances but also delayed transfers and the poor pitch conditions in Kazakhstan.
“I thought overall it was a poor game, and the pitch made it worse. Defensively we were fine but we couldn’t score. We had opportunities, but in penalties anything can happen,” he said.
“Very disappointing. The players worked hard, but across two legs we failed to take our chances. We wanted to be in the Champions League, but we have to settle for the Europa League now. It’s a massive blow, especially after what we showed last season. The players are devastated.”
A Landmark for Kazakhstan
For Kairat, the victory was a watershed moment — their first appearance in the Champions League proper, and only the second by any Kazakh club, following Astana’s breakthrough in 2015. It was also a night of milestones across Europe.
• Norway’s Bodo/Glimt: Despite losing 2–1 at Sturm Graz, the Norwegian champions advanced 6–2 on aggregate thanks to last week’s emphatic 5–0 win. They become the first Norwegian club to reach the Champions League group stage since Rosenborg in 2007.
• Cyprus’s Pafos FC: The Cypriot side booked their first-ever appearance after edging Red Star Belgrade 3–2 over two legs. An 89th-minute strike from Jaja secured a 1–1 draw on the night before the hosts survived a frantic stoppage-time siege, sparking wild celebrations.
The Champions League group-stage draw will take place Thursday in Monaco, with matches scheduled to kick off between September 16–18.
