Champions League Play-off round Draw – Celtic vs FC Kairat Almaty or ŠK Slovan Bratislava..

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)
Celtic paired with either Kairat or Bratislava in today’s UEFA Champions League play-off draw…
Celtic were this morning paired with either Kairat of Kazakhstan or Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava in a shootout for the right to earn a spot in world football’s premier club competition, the UEFA Champions League.
The ties will take place in a few weeks time with the first leg on either the 19 or 20 August with the all decisive second leg taking place away on 26 or 27 August as Brendan Rodgers as our players look to make an impression on the biggest stage of all after more than holding our own last year.

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates with teammates Callum McGregor & Johnny Kenny after scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 03 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace. IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)
Despite being seeded any side at this point will be tough, and we will have to respect both of our potential opponents, but it’s one that we can feel confident in overcoming with hopefully a couple of new additions taking their place in time for the ties.
This is the level we want to be competing at. Yes it will be tough but it’s where we all aspire to be, and god willing we can overcome and take our place in the group stages for the fourth consecutive campaign. Celtic defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at Celtic Park in last season’s Champions League group stage opener and a repeat of that scoreline would do nicely against the same opponent or indeed Kairat of Kazakhstan.
If Kairat make it through to face Celtic it will mean a 7000 mile round trip for Brendan Rodgers and his Celtic squad.
Meanwhile theRangers or Viktoria Plzen will play Club Brugge or Salzburg.
#CelticFC have drawn the winner of FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) in the @ChampionsLeague play-off round 🍀
Fixture date and time tbc 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/EeXFMbOvu8
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 4, 2025
Fixture dates and times to be confirmed.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
CELTIC IN THE EIGHTIES BY DAVID POTTER, FOREWORD BY DANNY McGRAIN is published by Celtic Star Books on the fifth day of September. You can pre-order now to guarantee your copy which will be signed by Danny McGrain, with just a limited number of signed copies available.
- Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, personally signed by Danny McGrain
- Alec McNair – Celtic’s Icicle by David Potter
Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered and don’t worry, your copy will be signed by the legendary Celtic and Scotland star who captained Celtic for the early years of the 1980s.
And from today we’ve reduced the price of an earlier David Potter book – Celtic’ Icicle – Alec McNair – to just £5, so when you order with Celtic in the Eighties you get two books and better still the postage is only charged on one. Offer available for a short period only as we have a very limited number of copies of David’s wonderful book on Alec McNair left.
So why have one brilliant David Potter book when you can enjoy two?

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.



I’m sure Celtic will qualify but if we have to travel to Kakistan in which every team will be hoping Celtic get through save this horrific travel but hopefully it it won’t happen we will be favourites. If we can’t beat those teams comfortable we don’t belong in the competition. Supporters love it playing teams that aren’t parking bus give our players to show there talent in open games defending midfield movement wingers one on one strikers love it idah open play