Scottish teams playing football in Kazakhstan do not mix, as history will tell you. A 3-0 loss for the national team in March 2019 meant they momentarily became the laughing stock of Europe – even with a team that included Callum McGregor, John McGinn, Stuart Armstrong and James Forrest, Alex McLeish’s men were helpless, hopeless and hapless in Astana.
And, with Aberdeen losing 2-1 to FC Kairat in 2015, alongside Celtic’s 4-3 Champions League play-off defeat to Astana in 2017 – albeit with the Celts having won the first leg 5-0 at Paradise – it continued a poor run of form for Scottish clubs in the far eastern-European country.
However, the run actually started with a 2-0 loss for Celtic to Shakhter Karagandy – this time genuinely giving Neil Lennon’s men the jitters as it was a first leg tie.
Yet, with Celtic being by far the favourites in the tie, there was still a sense of optimism as fans queued up to watch their side progress to the group stages of the Champions League.
Things got off to a flyer in Glasgow as Kris Commons scored a long-range strike on the stroke of half time, to get the blood pumping and the crowd into fine voice ahead of what was a much needed comeback.
Just moments after the interval, Greek god Giorgios Samaras equalled the tie after controlling a wayward Mikael Lustig shot and steering it past the bewildered Karagandy keeper.
Things were about to get even better, too.
Despite Celtic hitting the bar through Anthony Stokes, and with Neil Lennon’s men absolutely hammering on the door, they just couldn’t break the door down.
But, as we went into added time, a mazy run by Stokes found James Forrest lurking, blasting his shot into the roof of the net to send Parkhead delirious.
28th August 2013, Celtic beat Shakter Karagandy 3:0 to overturn a 2:0 first leg defeat.
Commons, Samaras then a Forrest winner in the final seconds. @kcommons15 pic.twitter.com/JwAa6fbJsu
— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) August 27, 2021