Former European champions Celtic exited the UEFA Champions League in the qualifiers after a 3-2 penalty shoot-out defeat at Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on Tuesday, following two goalless legs in the playoff tie.
Kairat are to compete in the competition proper for the first time, while Norway’s Bodo/Glimt and Cyprus’s Pafos also secured debut appearances after coming through the playoffs.
Celtic’s night ended in disappointment as they missed three penalties in the shoot-out, Daizen Maeda failing with the decisive spot-kick.
Photo: AP
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, Scotland.
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.
Last season’s UEFA Europa League semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt reached the competition’s league stage despite a 2-1 loss at Austria’s Sturm Graz, as their dominant 5-0 home win last week sealed a 6-2 aggregate triumph.
Norway is to have a team in the competition proper for the first time since 2007, when Rosenborg featured.
In Cyprus, Pafos celebrated reaching the league stage after edging out Red Star Belgrade 3-2 on aggregate. Home hero Jaja struck in the 89th minute to make it 1-1 on the night, before the hosts survived almost 10 minutes of stoppage time to spark jubilant scenes in the coastal Mediterranean city.
The league-phase draw is to take place today in Monaco, with the first matchday scheduled to be played from Sept. 16 to 18.
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