FOOTBALL – FORMER European champions Celtic exited the Champions League in the qualifiers after a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat at Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty yesterday, following two goalless legs in the playoff tie.
Celtic’s night ended in disappointment as they missed three penalties in the shootout, Daizen Maeda failing with the decisive spot-kick.
Almaty will compete in the competition proper for the first time and they are the second side from Kazakhstan to achieve the feat after Astana in 2015.
The slugfest of a match went into extra time with neither side finding the net and few overall chances, echoing the first leg in Glasgow.
Celtic’s Luke McCowan went close to finding a winner in the 112th minute, but his close-range effort was brilliantly palmed away by Kairat goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov.
The league-phase draw will take place tomorrow in Monaco with the first matchday scheduled to be played from September 16 to 18.
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