Zero goals. Zero inspiration. Zero advantage heading into one of European football’s most daunting away trips. That’s what Celtic are staring down the barrel at following a disastrous night at Parkhead in which the Scottish champions stumbled their way to a goalless draw against Kazakh counterparts Kairat Almaty in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff round.
Another Disappointing Celtic Night
What should have been a commanding home performance became yet another frustrating night in the green half of Glasgow, something which is becoming all too common in the opening weeks of the 2025/26 season. Time and again, Brendan Rodgers’ side looked impotent against a lively Kairat, which will perhaps be disappointed to head back to Central Asia with just a draw. It was the visitors who had the better chances despite having far less of the ball, and that will give them a huge confidence boost ahead of the home league eight hours away.
The bookies haven’t given Celtic much of a hope this season, and they are just hoping to secure their spot in the Champions League initial phase rather than winning the competition outright. The latest online sports betting at Lucky Rebel odds have heavyweights such as reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain (5/1) and Liverpool (13/2) listed as the favourites to go all the way. The story that the budding new outlet will be writing about the Bhoys, however, will be far different from that of the Parisians and the Reds.
The stark reality now confronting the Rodgers’ men is brutal: a 7,000-mile round trip across five time zones, an eight-hour flight into the heart of Central Asia, where they must deliver a result that has historically proven elusive. The £40 million Champions League windfall that seemed a relatively easy ask has now turned into one of the European game’s biggest banana skins. And considering Celtic’s record in Kazakhstan, the signs are ominous.
The Bhoys are without a win in Kazakhstan, and their last three trips paint an ugly picture.
2017–18: When 5-0 Nearly Wasn’t Enough
The most recent Kazakh adventure stands as perhaps the most dramatic example of why Celtic should never feel comfortable in this region. Eight years ago, the Hoops headed to Astana for the second leg of their Champions League qualifying playoff round tie with a seemingly unassailable five-goal lead secured after a blistering night at Parkhead. Qualification seemed like a formality, but things very nearly unravelled in dramatic fashion.
By the 70th minute, Celtic’s world had turned upside down. Astana had stormed to a 4-1 lead courtesy of three quickfire goals from Serikzhan Muzhikov and Patrick Twumasi (two). Suddenly, that five-goal cushion had transformed into a precarious two-goal buffer with 20 minutes of regulation time remaining. The away goals rule was still in effect, handing Celtic even more of an advantage, but still, the panic within the visitors was palpable.
Players who had strolled through the first leg now found themselves scrambling to preserve their Champions League status, but luckily, when the pressure was on, Celtic maintained their composure. Late strikes from Olivier Ntcham and Leigh Griffiths prevented complete disaster, securing an 8-4 aggregate victory despite a 4-3 defeat on the night. But even still, the Scottish champions enjoyed an almighty wake-up call and very nearly one of the biggest embarrassments in the history of European football.
2016–17: Leigh Griffiths’ Rescue Act
If Celtic thought their Astana experience was a one-off, the previous season’s encounter provided yet another harsh reality check. Facing the same opponents, this time in the third qualifying round, the Bhoys headed to Kazakhstan as overwhelming favourites to secure a result before sealing the deal in the second leg on home turf. Instead, they found themselves trailing 1-0 inside just 19 minutes in the Astana Arena after central defender Yury Logvinenko’s early opener.
As the game progressed, the Bhoys never truly asserted their dominance as many thought they would. But with the contest heading into its dying embers, step forward Leigh Griffiths, whose late equalizer salvaged a precious 1-1 draw and handed Celtic a lifeline heading back to Glasgow.
The return leg proved equally nerve-wracking. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1, Moussa Dembele emerged as Celtic’s savior, converting a 92nd-minute penalty to secure a 2-1 victory on the night and a 3-2 aggregate triumph. Once again, however, the Glasweigians proved that overthrowing Kazakh champions is by no means an easy feat, no matter what the sentiment is.
2013–14: The Karagandy Catastrophe
Celtic’s inaugural Kazakhstan experience delivered the harshest lesson of all. Traveling to face Shakhter Karagandy in the Champions League playoff round, Neil Lennon’s side encountered a rude awakening in the industrial city. Goals from Andrei Finonchenko handed the hosts a resounding 2-0 victory in a disastrous display from the visitors. The Bhoys’ performance was flat, lacking the intensity and creativity that had become Celtic’s European hallmark, and left them teetering on the brink of a shocking exit.
In the return fixture, Celtic got their act together. Goals from Kris Commons and Georgios Samaras levelled things up on aggregate. Then, deep into added time, James Forrest popped up with the latest of late winners to send Lennon’s men through. But even in victory, the damage to their Kazakh confidence was already done. 12 years on, it remains to be seen whether Celtic’s Asian curse will continue, or whether they can banish their ghosts once and for all.
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