Champions League: Can Kairat make life difficult for Celtic?

In 2002, Uefa granted a request from the Kazakh FA to take part in European competition despite the largest landlocked country in the world sitting in mid-Asia.

Celtic have visited three times previously, including twice at this stage of Champions League qualifying, with memorable match-ups against Shakhter Karagandy and Astana.

Kairat have had Scottish experience themselves, having knocked Aberdeen out of the Europa League a decade ago.

Returning to the qualifying tournament in their bid to get back to Europe’s top table is not ideal for Scotland’s champions against the backdrop of a fading coefficient, but Brendan Rodgers’ men will be big favourites.

However, the warnings are there that Kairat may be no pushovers. The biggest danger to Celtic’s ambitions comes in the shape of a 17-year-old.

Dastan Satpaev has a big-money transfer to Chelsea to look forward to but is too young to make that move this year as per Fifa rules.

He celebrated his 17th birthday in Bratislava and will head to west London as soon as he turns 18 next August.

Satpaev has 22 goal involvements for Kairat this season, scoring 13 of them himself, including three in the qualifiers. Despite his 5ft 5in frame, he has a massive future on his hands and is already a full international.

Belarus international Valeriy Gromyko is another important player and is likely to be involved against Scotland in the upcoming World Cup qualifier in Hungary.

This is not a fixture Celtic will be intimidated by, apart from the length of journey they will undertake for next week’s return. Although the last time Callum McGregor and James Forrest were in Kazakhstan, it was for a Scotland team on the receiving end of a 3-0 humbling in 2019.

Symbolically, the sight of Astana playing in the group stage of the Champions League in 2015 was massive for Kazakh football, with many feeling it justified Uefa’s decision to grant them access.

But, it remains the only time a club from the country has participated in the tournament. Kairat are desperate to become the second.