Again-up goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov made three saves in a penalty shootout as Kairat edged previous Celtic in Almaty to change into the second Kazakh membership in historical past to succeed in the Champions League correct.
After a forgettable tie that ended 0-0 on combination, 21-year-old Anarbekov stopped spot kicks from Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda to ship the reigning Kazakhstan Premier League champions via.
Maeda had the most effective likelihood of standard time when the ahead fired over the bar after being performed via by Callum McGregor with 4 minutes remaining.
Was that their second? 😱
Daizen Maeda misses a HUGE late likelihood to ship Celtic into the UCL league part 🫣 pic.twitter.com/xGKu12D7dV
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) August 26, 2025
Celtic vs Kairat: Champions League shootout
The primary half was a colorless one amid an electrical ambiance at Almaty’s Central Stadium, the place a lot of the crowd of virtually 23,000 have been hoping to see Kairat emulate Astana’s achievement in 2015.
Anarbekov, who began as a result of Alexander Zarutsky was injured at Celtic Park, tipped James Forrest’s header over the bar in the one incident of notice through the first half, which ended with an anticipated targets tally of 0.06 for Kairat and 0.1 for Celtic.
Kairat appealed for a penalty shortly after the break when Kasper Schmeichel punched Callum McGregor’s backpass on the expense of a free-kick that led to Maeda blocking Jorginho’s fierce shot, though the Japan worldwide was adjudged to have executed so legitimately.
There was extra to return from Anarbekov earlier than his heroics within the shootout, thwarting pictures from McCowan and Benjamin Nygren throughout additional time because the Hoops missed out on qualification for the primary time in 4 seasons.
Alyaksandr Martynovich, Ofri Arad and Egor Sorokin scored penalties for Kairat however Valery Gromyko chipped their first try of the finale in opposition to the crossbar, whereas Arne Engels and McGregor additionally transformed for Celtic.
Almost a calamity for Celtic 😬
They survive a close-range oblique free kick and subsequent penalty attraction to stay stage on combination in opposition to Almaty 👀 pic.twitter.com/pDkgY3ongh
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) August 26, 2025
Celtic beginning workforce vs Kairat
Celtic made six modifications, bringing in captain McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Maeda and Forrest.
Celtic beginning XI: Schmeichel, Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Hatate, Nygren, Forrest, Maeda, Yang
Substitutes: Sinisalo, Doohan, Simpson-Pusey, Idah, McCowan, Yamada, Osmand, Kenny, Engels, Bernardo, Murray, Donovan
Kairat: Anarbekov, Luis Mata, Jorginho, Martynovich, Arad, D Glazer, Tapalov, Mrynskiy, Gromyko, Sorokin, Ricardinho
Substitutes: Reimov, Kalmurza, Kassabulat, Kurgin, Sadybekov, Baibek, Shirobokov, Stanojev, Gadrani, Bekbolat, Tuyakbayev, Bagdat
When is the Champions League league part draw?
The draw will happen on Thursday, August 28 – a day after the play-off ties come to a near resolve the final groups to qualify.
The draw ceremony will begin at 17:00 BST / 12:00 ET / 09:00 PT.
How you can watch the Champions League draw: TV channel, stay stream
The draw can be proven stay and totally free on UEFA.com, in addition to on UEFA’s YouTube channel and BBC Sport’s website and iPlayer.
TNT Sports activities can even broadcast the draw through Discovery+ and YouTube.
Champions League format
In a change from the earlier group stage format performed till 2023/24, every workforce now performs eight matches within the league part, all in opposition to completely different opponents.
4 of these matches can be at house and 4 away, with the opponents decided in keeping with 4 seeding pots cut up by rankings.
Groups will play two opponents from every of these pots – one in opposition to a workforce from every pot at house and one away. The outcomes resolve the general standings in a single league.
The highest eight sides within the desk qualify routinely for the spherical of 16. The groups ending in ninth to twenty fourth will compete in a two-legged knockout part play-off to succeed in the final 16.
Groups ending twenty fifth or decrease are out of Europe for the season.
Champions League schedule, fixtures 2025/26
The brand new league part runs till the tip of January, with the play-offs in February and the remainder of the knockout stage earlier than the ultimate happening between March and early Might.
Matchday 1: September 16-18 2025
Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1 2025
Matchday 3: October 21/22 2025
Matchday 4: November 4/5 2025
Matchday 5: November 25/26 2025
Matchday 6: December 9/10 2025
Matchday 7: January 20/21 2026
Matchday 8: January 28 2026
When is the Champions League knockout part?
Knockout part play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Spherical of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and Might 5/6 2026
Remaining: Might 30 2026 (Budapest)
When are the Champions League attracts?
League part: August 28 2025
Knockout part play-offs: January 30 2026
Spherical of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and closing: February 27 2026
When is the Champions League closing?
The ultimate will happen on Might 30 2026 on the The Puskas Area in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is house to Hungary’s nationwide workforce.
The sector hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League closing, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after additional time.
