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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Mark Walker

Kairat Almaty star on why he thinks they can overcome Celtic in second leg

Kairat Almaty ace Valeriy Gromyko reckons he can make his Champions League dream come true because he knows Celtic have struggled in Kazakhstan.

Celtic will make the marathon 3,500-mile journey to the Asian outpost for the second leg of the Champions League play-off after a goalless draw at Parkhead.

Scottish teams have never won in Kazakhstan - Celtic have played there three times, Aberdeen and Scotland once and Scotland Under 21s twice.

And Belarus international Gromyko is aiming to pile on the misery for the Hoops.

He said: "I know that Celtic have previously had a hard time of playing in Kazakhstan.

"So we want to show the world we can play good football too and not just defend.

"We played really well in the second half in Glasgow - we really stopped everything.

"Let's not forget Celtic are a very good team who play in the Champions League every year.


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"They are a very fast team too, but we matched them.

"But at home in front of our fans, it will be a different game.

"It is the dream of any footballer to get into the main stage of the Champions League.

"Of course, we believe in it."

And Kairat's Portuguese striker Jorginho revealed he wished he could play at Parkhead for the rest of his career.

He said: "When you play at a stadium like that, you have to enjoy it.

"The atmosphere was amazing.  This is what I want in my career. I want to play at stadiums like that every week.

"I was really proud of our performance at such a place.

"It won't be any easier for us at home. So we need to recover and prepare for the next game."

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