Kairat stun Celtic with shootout victory to qualify for UCL | OneFootball

Kairat stunned Celtic with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory after a 0-0 aggregate score line to become the first Kazakh side to qualify for the Champions League.

In a game of desperately few chances and even lower quality, it took almost 80 minutes for a real clear-cut opener.

It came to Daizen Maeda, who was played in one-on-one by Callum McGregor but blasted high over the bar in a shot fitting of the spectacle in Kazakhstan.

Added time saw Celtic step it up a gear against a very tired Kairat side, with Benjami Nygren testing keeper Temirlan Anarbekov with a strong drive from just outside the box.

Luke McCowan had their next best effort in the second half of added-time, the substitute's shot almost deflecting into the bottom corner.

Anarbekov again came to his side's rescue with eight minutes left, pushing away Nygren's effort from inside the box.

After 210 minutes of goalless action, a shootout was required to decide who would qualify, as well as land the £40m prize money.

In fitting style, it took another four penalties before the ball hit the back of the net, Aleksandr Martynovich slotting home after Adam Idah and Luke McCowan had spot kicks saved by Anarbekov, and Valeri Gromyko hit the bar with a panenka effort.

Arnie Engels and McGregor scored for Celtic, but Ofri Arad and Egor Sorokin kept Kairat ahead.

Maeda then saw his must-score penalty saved again by Anarbekov to send Almaty wild, create history and leave Celtic staring into the abyss.

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