Celtic Held 0-0 by Kairat in Champions League Playoff First Leg

Celtic were held to a 0-0 draw by Kairat Almaty in the first leg of their Champions League play-off at Parkhead, leaving their qualification hopes uncertain ahead of the return leg in Kazakhstan. Despite dominating possession, Celtic struggled to create significant scoring chances, with key efforts by James Forrest and Daizen Maeda failing to break through a resilient Kairat defense. The Kazakh side, led by the influential 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpayev, matched Celtic's pace and counterattacked effectively, even having a disallowed goal for offside early in the match. Celtic's plans were further hampered by an injury to defender Alistair Johnston, who had to be stretchered off. The home fans expressed frustration with chants of "sack the board" amid a perceived lack of summer transfers, reflecting dissatisfaction with the club's current trajectory. Brendan Rodgers, managing his 800th match, made tactical adjustments such as substituting Adam Idah for Yang Hyun-jun and moving Maeda to center-forward, but ultimately Celtic could not capitalize on home advantage.