Celtic Draw with Kairat in Europa Conference League Qualifier After Grueling Extra Time
Almaty, Kazakhstan – Celtic FC battled to a hard-fought draw against Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty in the first leg of their Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie, finishing 0-0 after 120 minutes of play. The match, played at the bayarena in Almaty, was marked by a series of injuries and missed opportunities for both sides, leaving the tie delicately poised ahead of next week’s return leg in Glasgow.
Celtic entered the match depleted, already facing injury concerns with 17-year-old Chelsea-bound attacker dastan Satpaev suspended and Brazilian winger Edmilson ruled out after picking up an injury in training on Monday. The absence of key players contributed to a disjointed performance, particularly in the first half.
Kairat started brightly, but struggled to genuinely test Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The visitors, however, were hampered by their own inaccuracies, with Yang Hyun-jun frequently losing possession and misplacing passes. Despite a shaky start,Hyun-jun was involved in Celtic’s most promising first-half attack,laying the ball back for Reo Hatate,whose cross found James Forrest. Forrest’s header was tipped over by the Kairat goalkeeper. A subsequent short corner taken by Benjamin Nygren resulted in a goal kick, highlighting Celtic’s struggles to capitalize on attacking opportunities.
The second half saw continued sloppiness from Celtic.Nygren’s hesitation on the ball stifled a promising move, and Callum McGregor forced Schmeichel to handle a back-pass, leading to an indirect free kick. A potential handball by Daizen Maeda on a subsequent shot from Jorginho was reviewed by VAR but ultimately deemed not to be an offense, as his hands were close to his body.
Kairat continued to press, requiring crucial blocks from Cameron Carter-Vickers and saves from Schmeichel to maintain the deadlock. celtic’s Maeda had a golden chance to snatch a late winner in the 86th minute, being sent through on goal by McGregor, but his shot sailed over the bar from 18 yards. Schmeichel was again called into action to deny Ofri Arad’s header,sending the match into extra time.
Extra time saw a shift in momentum, with Celtic enjoying their most sustained period of pressure. hatate had a shot blocked following a cutback from substitute Idah, and both McGregor and Nygren tested the Kairat goalkeeper with long-range efforts. In the second period of extra time, substitute Mikey McCowan forced a save, and Nygren was twice denied from close range. The Kairat goalkeeper continued to prove resilient, thwarting Celtic’s attacks even after the final whistle.
The result leaves Celtic with work to do in the second leg at Celtic Park next Thursday.While avoiding defeat away from home is a positive, the Hoops will need to improve their attacking efficiency and address their injury concerns to secure progression to the next round of the Europa Conference League. Kairat, simultaneously occurring, will travel to Glasgow confident of perhaps causing an upset.
