Celtic will begin their Champions League play-off campaign at Celtic Park after being drawn at home for the first leg.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will face either Slovan Bratislava or Kairat Almaty, with the first match taking place on the midweek of August 19/20 and the return leg scheduled for August 26/27. The exact dates will be confirmed later today.
The draw was made in Nyon, Switzerland, with the Hoops among the seeded sides in the Champions Path. Eight potential opponents were in the frame, including Swiss champions Basel, Austrian title winners Sturm Graz, and the winners of three third-round ties still to be decided.
#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
Kairat Almaty, meanwhile, would present a very different kind of challenge. The Kazakh champions are less formidable on paper but would mean a gruelling 7,000-mile round trip to Almaty, a logistical headache Brendan Rodgers would rather avoid.
Elsewhere in the draw, Basel stood out as the toughest possible tie. The Swiss champions, captained by Xherdan Shaqiri and featuring ex-Celt Albian Ajeti, are back on top domestically and eager to return to the Champions League.
Other possibilities included Dynamo Kyiv or Cypriot champions Pafos, as well as Qarabag or Shkendija. Kyiv’s European pedigree is unquestionable, though they are forced to play home ties on neutral soil. Qarabag are seasoned campaigners in continental football, having reached group stages for 11 consecutive years.
While Rodgers will be relieved to have avoided Basel or Sturm Graz at this stage, Celtic will still need to be wary of Slovan’s quality or the challenges posed by a trip to Kazakhstan.
The prize on offer is huge, a place in the Champions League proper and the financial windfall that comes with it.
