LKazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty carved out a historic achievement on Tuesday night, securing their first ever place in the UEFA Champions League group stage after defeating Celtic 3 to 2 on penalties in Almaty.
The Kazakh side held the Scottish club to back to back goalless draws over both legs, forcing a dramatic shootout. Celtic crumbled under pressure, missing three penalties including a decisive miss by Daizen Maeda, confirming their drop into the Europa League.
The standout figure of the night was 21 year old goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov. His crucial save in extra time against Luke McCowan kept Kairat in the contest, and his heroics in the shootout sealed the historic victory.
Celtic dominated the ball and created 22 chances across the tie but struggled with accuracy, producing only eight shots on target.
Rodgers reacts:
Manager Brendan Rodgers expressed disappointment after the match, pointing to missed opportunities, delayed transfer activity, and the poor pitch condition in Kazakhstan as factors in the loss.
“We defended well but couldn’t find the finish. When it goes to penalties, it’s unpredictable and tonight we didn’t do enough. It’s a major blow. We wanted to be in the Champions League and we’ve fallen short,” he said.
For Kairat, the result marks a milestone, making them just the second Kazakh club to ever reach the Champions League group stage, following Astana’s appearance in 2015.
Elsewhere in Europe, Norway’s Bodo/Glimt also reached the group stage for the first time despite a 2 to 1 defeat at Sturm Graz, going through 6 to 2 on aggregate after a 5 to 0 first leg win. They become the first Norwegian side in the competition since Rosenborg in 2007.
Cyprus celebrated as well, with Pafos FC qualifying for the first time in their history by edging Red Star Belgrade 3 to 2 on aggregate. Jaja’s 89th minute strike in a 1 to 1 draw proved decisive, sparking wild celebrations.
The Champions League group stage draw will be held Thursday in Monaco, with matches kicking off between September 16 and 18.
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