Playoff win against Celtic
© Imago
Kazakh champion Cairat Almaty has qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. The team from the city far in the southeast of the country near the borders to China and Kyrgyzstan prevailed 3-2 after penalty shooting against Celtic Glasgow on Tuesday evening. After the first leg in Scotland had run out 0-0, it remained goalless even after 120 minutes in the second leg. Goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov (21) parried three penalty, the crucial for Cairat converted Egor Sorokin.
In view of this result, the opponents in the Champions League group phase should look at the draw on Thursday (6:00 p.m.). Almaty is around 6,000 kilometers away from Germany and perhaps the extensive journey that a team can compete within the UEFA. In 2015, Benfica Lisbon had to travel to FC Astana to Kazakhstan – and vice versa. In the premier class, this is the longest football trip ever made at around 6,160 kilometers. Astana is closer to Toyko than to Lisbon and from the Portuguese capital it is shorter to New York.