Celtic v Kairat Almaty: Champions League play-off dates and Kazakhstan opponents profiled ahead of £25m showdown

Brendan Rodgers' side begin their European campaign in the play-off round of UEFA's elite club competition where they will come up against Kairat Almaty as they look to secure a £25million windfall by reaching the league phase.

Their opponents from Kazakhstan have already had to overcome three hurdles, entering the tournament in the first qualifying round, where they inflicted a 3-1 aggregate defeat on Slovenian side Olimpija.

A 3-2 aggregate win over Finnish side KuPS then followed, with Kairat overturning a 2-0 first leg deficit despite being reduced to 10 men in the second leg, before they secured a play-off showdown with Celtic by overcoming Slovan Bratislava via a penalty shoot-out after both legs finished 1-1.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match:

When is Celtic v Kairat Almaty?

The Champions League play-off round first leg between Celtic and Kairat Almaty takes place at Celtic Park on Wednesday, August 20, kick-off 8pm. The second leg will require a 7000-mile round trip for the Hoops with the match set to be staged at the 24,000-capacity Central Stadium in Almaty on Tuesday, August 26, kick-off 5.45pm.

Who is the Kairat Almaty manager?

Almaty are managed by Kazakh head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin. The 46-year-old earned 12 caps for the national side during his playing career, which was spent almost entirely in his homeland barring a brief spell in Russia. He was appointed Kairat head coach in 2024 but has been with the club for nine years, working his way up from the youth academy to the first team. Kairat Boranbayev, the club chairman, was asked about his future this week amid suggestions his job could be under threat. "Of course we trust Rafael Urazbakhtin," he said. "He has worked hard as our head coach and continues his work. There are no discussions about his future. Any stories suggesting otherwise are made up."

How are Kairat Almaty faring domestically?

Kairat are actually in the midst of their current campaign with the Kazakhstan domestic season running from March until October. They are looking to defend the title won in 2024 and sit top of the standings on 43 points after 19 matches, three points ahead of Astana who have a game in hand. Kairat are eight matches unbeaten in the league and face fifth-placed Yelimay Semey at home on Saturday before travelling to Celtic Park.

What is Kairat Almaty's European pedigree?

Kairat are regulars in the qualifying rounds of UEFA club competitions but have only played group stage football once, in the 2021-22 Conference League, where they finished bottom of their group on two points. They have, however, claimed decent-sized scalps in recent times with victories over AZ Alkmaar in 2018 and Red Star Belgrade in 2015. They last faced Scottish opposition a decade ago, beating Aberdeen 3-2 on aggregate in Europa League qualifying before losing to Bordeaux.

Have Celtic and Kairat Almaty met before?

This will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs but Celtic are no strangers to Kazakhstan having made three trips to the country over the past 12 years, failing to win on each occasion. Neil Lennon's side lost 2-0 to Shakhter Karagandy at the same stage of Champions League qualification in 2013 but recovered to reach the group stages thanks to a 3-0 win in the return leg at home sealed by a last-minute strike from none other than James Forrest. A 1-1 draw with Astana followed in 2016 under Brendan Rodgers, before a 2-1 home win sealed Champions League progression. Celtic and Rodgers returned to Astana a year later, losing 4-3 away from home on this occasion but after securing a resounding 5-0 win in the first leg at Parkhead.

Who are Kairat Almaty star players?

Dastan Satpaev is the rising star of Kazakhstan football. The talented young forward only turned 17 this week but is already a senior Kazakhstan international with a €4million move to Chelsea when he turns 18 in August next year already agreed. His performances for Kairat have earned him comparisons to French star Kylian Mbappé and former Argentina striker Sergio Aguero in the Kazakh newspapers. He has already scored three times in Champions League qualifying this season and will be one of the major dangermen for Celtic to watch, but not the only one. Portuguese striker Jorginho is also a threat while midfielders Valery Gromkyo and Giorgi Zaria also renowned for getting on the scoresheet.

How does Celtic squad value compare to Kairat Almaty?

According to transfemarkt.com, the Kairat squad has a market value of €12.80m with rising star Dastan Satpaev rated highest at €1.8m. Their squad is mostly made up of home-based players but also features Brazilians, Portuguese, German and Russian nationals. Celtic's squad is valued at €131.15m with Daizen Maeda rated highest at €15m followed by Cameron Carter-Vickers at €14m. Celtic should therefore be considered heavy favourites to progress with early odds of 12/1 on a Kairat victory at Parkhead next week.