Redemption chance for Celtic in Europa League after Kairat shambles

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The Celtic Star

·18 septembre 2025

Redemption chance for Celtic in Europa League after Kairat shambles

‘Here’s what you could’ve won, Bhoys!’

Jorginho of Kairat Almaty strikes an indirect free kick which Daizen Maeda of Celtic blocks Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug just 2025 Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Tonight sees the third instalment of the midweek champions league fixtures take place, and it’s a Bullseye’s “Here’s what you could’ve won” moment for the Celtic supporters watching the action on their television screens.

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The Champions League is the biggest football competition in the world, and it’s where all clubs aspire to be, both in a prestigious and financial sense, but unfortunately the incompetence of the Celtic board this summer went a long way in our club missing out in mixing it with Europe’s elite for a fourth consecutive season, despite being drawn against the most modest side in terms of quality in the play-offs never mind the group stages.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic reacts to missing an opportunity Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug just 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Most wouldn’t be surprised if Kairat Almaty finish bottom of the group stages, one of those sides with zero points or perhaps they’ll manage one single point by holding out in their defensive block in one of their home games. I very much doubt it though.

Harry Kane of Bayern Munich shakes hands with Auston Trusty of Celtic following the UEFA Champions League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic and Bayern München at Celtic Park on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

However, when all is said and done we can’t look back, and now must focus on the more modest surroundings of the Europa League which unfortunately seems to be our level at this present time after as Harry Kane said the other day, giving Bayern Munich their hardest test in 2025 on their own patch earlier this year.

How we managed to get from scaring Bayern Munich to the shambles against Kairat Almaty is unbelievable really and while the manager and the players he had available should have been able to win that tie regardless, there is little doubt that failing to replace Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn – who the board were quick as a flash in selling – left Celtic short in the attacking options.

Sebastian Tounekti at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

If you are going to spend the money anyway why not have the three new forwards who played at Rugby Park in the door and available for those games?

That doesn’t mean that we are immune from looking on from the outside with a tinge of ‘what if’ as the side who somehow beat us, Kairat Almaty travel to Portugal to take on Sporting in the Portuguese capital as they start their Champions League campaign.

Instead we can only watch on as the Kazakh side get to test themselves against the likes of Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Inter Milan.

The Celtic Board at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

We had our chance and we blew it, leaving us on the outside looking in which is something that has happened to too many Celtic manager’s now and the cause is always the same and comes from one place, the Celtic Boardroom. No wonder the Celtic fans are protesting.

Brendon Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the match between theRangers and Celtic at Ibrox on August 31, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Meanwhile over at Lennoxtown, Brendan Rodgers will be focusing on the Premier Sports quarter-final against Partick Thistle on Sunday but will have one eye on the trip to Belgrade next midweek when the Europa League campaign gets underway.

There is redemption and also opportunity here for Celtic and also for the manager as the Europa League has to be regarded as a competition that Celtic could possibly win. Remember theRangers reached a Europa League Final in Seville a few years back so it’s surely to impossible.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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