Celtic have won all three previous home games against Kazakh opposition, beating Shakhter Karagandy 3-0 in 2013, Astana 2-1 in 2016 and the same opposition 5-0 a year later, progressing through all three ties, despite failing to win any of the three away games.
Kairat's sole previous clash with a Scottish club came a decade ago, ousting Aberdeen in Europa League qualifying, prevailing 2-1 in Almaty before a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie.
Celtic vs Kairat preview
It may only be August, but this is a season-defining tie for both clubs, so who will move one step closer to realising their Champions League dream in Glasgow?
Since 2014, Celtic have fallen in Champions League qualifying on six occasions, suffering gut-wrenching defeats at the hands of Maribor, Malmö, AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencváros and Midtjylland, so supporters will not take anything for granted. In this competitions last season, the Hoops reached the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years. Brendan Rodgers' side enjoyed league phase victories over Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys and RB Leipzig, before running Bayern Munich extremely close, leading on the night in Bavaria, the aggregate score 2-2, before Bayern won it at the very death.
To start the new season, the Celts have won all three matches domestically, battling to Premiership victories over both St Mirren and Aberdeen. Then, on Friday night, the Hoops reached the League Cup quarter-finals by steamrollering Falkirk 4-1; Daizen Maeda, Alistair Johnston and youngster Dane Murray all on target. However, Nicolas Kühn's departure, coupled with a lack of incoming transfer business, means Celtic supporters are concerned about their side's capacity to compete at a European level, so establishing a healthy first leg advantage at Parkhead on Wednesday will be key.
As for Kairat, they've already played six ties just to get this far, now looking to complete the fairytale. Back in early-July, Rafael Urazbakhtin's side caused a minor upset by ousting Olimpija Ljubljana from the first qualifying round, before also overcoming KuPS, losing the first leg 2-0 in Kuopio, before a 3-0 victory in Almaty secured the comeback. In the third qualifying round, they beat Slovan Bratislava 1-0 at home, teenager Dastan Satpayev converting a last gasp spot-kick, before losing by the same scoreline in Slovakia, meaning a shootout was required, which they won at Národný futbalový štadión.
Before this season, Kairat's sole appearance in a UEFA group stage came in the Conference League four years ago, but victory in Bratislava means they're guaranteed Europa League at a minimum. They are far from Kazakhstan's dominant club, claiming just a fourth league title last year, and only their second since 2004; Astana had won six in a row prior to 2020. Their home Almaty is located 3,530 miles east of Glasgow, thereby 400 miles closer to Tokyo, east of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Thus, next Tuesday's return leg at the Central Stadium will be a daunting one, especially considering Almaty have won all three Champions League home games this season without conceding, albeit they're winless in seven European away games, claiming just one victory from 13 on the road. Thus, Celtic will fancy their chances of establishing a comfortable aggregate advantage in Glasgow.
Celtic vs Kairat head-to-head record
These two clubs have never previously met.
Celtic team news
Brendan Rodgers heavily rotated for Friday's League Cup demolition of Falkirk, but all of his big guns will be restored. These include Kasper Schmeichel, who will be back in goal, with Cameron Carter-Vickers also returning to defence. Meanwhile, Benjamin Nygren is set to get the nod over Arne Engels in midfield, after the new signing scored his first goal in Hoops at Pittodrie ten days ago.
In main question mark comes in attack, where James Forrest, who's made 117 appearances in UEFA competition for the club, has started the last two matches, so will he get the nod over Yang Hyun-jun? Johnny Kenny failed to impress against Falkirk, so Adam Idah will lead the line, searching for his first goal of the season, having bagged three in the Champions League last year; can he get off the mark?
Celtic predicted lineup vs Kairat: (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Nygren, Hatate; Forrest, Maeda, Idah.
Celtic player to watch vs Kairat
Daizen Maeda was, by some distance, Celtic's top scorer last season, netting 33 times across all competitions, including four in the Champions League. Having opened his account for the new campaign with a diving header on Friday night, will the Japanese forward be the difference here?
Kairat team news
Key midfielder Valery Gromyko, who has started five of the six Champions League qualifiers to date, is suspended, having collected a third yellow card in Bratislava last Tuesday.
In better news for the visitors, Russian centre-back Yegor Sorokin and Belarusian defender Alyaksandr Martynovich are both available, having received visas over the weekend.
Rafael Urazbakhtin's side actually suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat to Yelimay on Saturday, thereby relinquishing top spot in the Kazakh Premier League, but he did make five chances for that fixture, with all of his key players poised to return for this huge tie, the biggest in their European history.
Kairat predicted lineup vs Celtic: (4-5-1): Zarutskiy; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Luís Mata; Arad, Glazer, Kasabulat, Jorginho, Edmilson; Satpayev.
Kairat player to watch vs Celtic
Striker Dastan Satpayev, who celebrated his 17th birthday with victory in Bratislava last Tuesday, is certainly the player to watch. He's scored in every round of Champions League qualifying so far, including converting a stoppage time penalty against Slovan, and, because he is a young talent, has already agreed to join Chelsea for €4 million next summer.
Celtic vs Kairat prediction
We are backing Celtic for a hard-fought, potentially crucial victory in this first leg in Glasgow. We do not believe the Hoops possess the attacking firepower to blow Kairat away, nor do we believe the Kazakh champions will be a push over, so a slender advantage appears most likely: Celtic 2-0 Kairat.
Celtic vs Kairat FAQs - UEFA Champions League
How to watch Celtic vs Kairat in the Champions League on TV channel?
Celtic vs Kairat in the Champions League will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate.
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Celtic vs Kairat in the Champions League on live streaming?
Celtic vs Kairat in the Champions League will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: Discovery+
- USA: Paramount+
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Celtic vs Kairat in the Champions League?
Celtic vs Kairat takes place on Wednesday 20 August 2025, with kick off at 20:00 (BST), 15:00 (EDT) & 12:00 (PDT).