The first leg of the Champions League 2025/26 qualification playoff between Celtic (Scotland) and Kairat (Kazakhstan) will take place on August 20 at Celtic Park in Glasgow. Celtic vs. Kairat: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Celtic
Brendan Rodgers' team will start from the playoff round thanks to their championship victory. The last time the club began their Champions League qualification from the early stages was in 2021, and they failed to reach the main draw of the tournament. However, since the 2022/23 season, the Scots have started three times from the main stage of the Champions League, and in the last edition, they even reached the round of 16, but were defeated by Bayern (1-2 and 1-1) over two legs.
- In their last 25 Champions League matches, Celtic has only secured 4 wins in regular time (9 draws and 12 losses).
- Both teams scored in 8 of Celtic's last 9 home matches in this tournament after 90 minutes.
- The team has conceded in regular time in 12 of their last 13 home games in this European competition.
Predicted lineup for Celtic (4-3-3)
Kasper Schmeichel – Kieran Tierney, Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston – Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor, Benjamin Nygren – Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah, James Forrest.
Kairat
Rafael Urazbakhtin's side has already progressed through three stages of the Champions League qualification. Initially, the club overcame Olimpija (1-1 and 2-0) and KuPS (0-2 and 3-0), and in the last round, they defeated Slovan Bratislava thanks to better penalty execution – 1-0 and 0-1, extra time 0-0, penalties 4-3. If the Almaty team gets past the Scots, they will reach the main stage of the Champions League for the first time in their history.
- The Kazakhs have not lost in regular time in 7 of their last 10 Champions League matches (5 wins and 2 draws).
- At least one team failed to score in 5 of Kairat's last matches in this tournament after 90 minutes.
- The club has not won in their last 6 away matches in this European competition (2 draws and 4 losses).
Predicted lineup for Kairat (4-3-3)
Alexander Zarutskiy – Aleksandr Martynovich, Yegor Sorokin, Luis Mata, Erkin Tapalov – Valery Gromyko, Ofri Arad, Dan Glazer – Edmilson Filho, Jorginho Costa, Dastan Satpayev.
Referee
Espen Eskas (Norway)
Matches – 15 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 62;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 27%.
Celtic vs. Kairat: Match Prediction
The Scots are rightly considered favorites in this matchup. After all, the club consistently participates in the Champions League, even in its main stage. Celtic is particularly strong at home: in their last 6 home Champions League matches, the club secured 4 wins and 1 draw, losing only to Bayern.
In my opinion, the Kazakhs are noticeably weaker. Even reaching the playoff stage of the Champions League is a significant achievement for them. The Almaty team reached this stage thanks to home victories, but they are not as strong away and have never won on foreign soil, even in the qualifying rounds. I remind you that this season Kairat lost away to Slovan (0-1) and KuPS (0-2).
I believe the hosts will secure a confident victory in the first match. My prediction: Celtic with a handicap (-2)