Champions League play-offs: Kairat Almaty vs Celtic facts

Kairat Almaty will look to make the most of home advantage as Celtic come to Kazakhstan to conclude their UEFA Champions League play-off.

Last match

The goalless first leg was the first meeting between the teams.

Kairat's only other games against a Scottish team brought a 3-2 aggregate win against Aberdeen in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (2-1 h, 1-1 a).

Celtic have lost two of their three away games against teams from Kazakhstan (D1).

Kairat

Kairat are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the first time. Astana, in 2015/16, are the only side from Kazakhstan to feature.

This is only Kairat’s third Champions League campaign. They lost in the first qualifying round in 2005/06 and in the second qualifying round in 2021/22.

Kairat’s only participation in a UEFA group stage/league phase was in the 2021/22 UEFA Conference League, when they finished bottom of their section (D2 L4).

Celtic

Celtic are bidding to reach the Champions League proper for the 14th time and the fourth season in a row.

The 1967 European champions lost 2-3 on aggregate to Bayern München in the 2024/25 knockout phase play-offs, the first time Celtic had reached the knockout rounds since 2013.

Celtic have not successfully negotiated Champions League qualifying since 2017/18; they have since suffered four qualifying eliminations.

The Scottish side's play-off record is W4 L3. They most recently defeated Kairat's domestic rivals Astana 8-4 in 2017/18 (5-0 h, 3-4 a) and were also victorious against another Kazahkstan side, Shakhter Karagandy, in 2013/14 (0-2 a, 3-0 h).

Key stats

Kairat beat Olimpija Ljubljana 3-1 on aggregate (1-1 a, 2-0 h) in this season's first qualifying round, overcoming KuPS in the second (0-2 a, 3-0 h) and Slovan Bratislava in the third (1-0 h, 0-1 a aet, 4-3 pens).

Kairat have kept clean sheets in four of their seven qualifiers this season, winning all three at home without conceding.

The Kazakhstan club have never won an away Champions League qualifier (D3 L4) but have six wins from six at home in the competition.

This is Celtic’s 40th European Cup campaign; they are one of only six teams to reach that mark, along with Real Madrid (56), Benfica (45), Bayern (42), Dynamo Kyiv (41) and Ajax (40).

A 1-0 home win against Young Boys on Matchday 6 last season is Celtic's only victory in their last seven European matches (D3 L3).

Celtic have lost their away leg in four of their last five play-off ties (D1 L4) and were beaten in the second leg in their last four play-offs.

Penalty shoot-outs

Kairat's record in one European shoot-out is W1 L0:
4-3 v Slovan Bratislava, 2025/26 Champions League third qualifying round

Celtic's record in three UEFA shoot-outs is W1 L2:
4-5 v Inter, 1971/72 European Cup semi-final
4-5 v Valencia, 2001/02 UEFA Cup third round
4-3 v Spartak Moskva, 2007/08 Champions League third qualifying round