UEFA Champions League play-offs: Celtic 5-0 Astana

REACTION: Sinclair and Griffiths still hungry for goals | Rodgers can smell group stage

Celtic appears assured of a place in the UEFA Champions League group stages after Australia's Tom Rogic woke it from an uncertain start and Scott Sinclair bagged a double to secure a comprehensive 5-0 win over Astana at Parkhead in the first leg of their play-off tie.

Scottish footballer of the year Sinclair had received criticism for a perceived slow start to the campaign, but he more than answered those critics with two goals on Thursday (AEST) to leave qualification looking like a mere formality. 

It took the hosts a little longer than they would have liked, but Celtic eventually broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, Rogic embarking on a jinking run into the box before firing in a shot that Evgeni Postnikov could do nothing with except direct it into his own net.

After that jolt, Celtic ended up cruising by half-time, as Sinclair capitalised on a defensive error to double Celtic's lead three minutes before the interval.

Astana initially responded well after the break as it went in search of a lifeline, but it was sliced open by Celtic on the break with an hour played, Sinclair getting his second, albeit in controversial circumstances.

Rodgers' side managed to maintain its concentration for the final stages, adding a fourth 11 minutes from the end through the impressive James Forrest.

When Leigh Griffiths made it five with a strike that deflected off Igor Shitov and into the back of the net late on, passage to the group stage was all but assured, barring an enormous collapse in Kazakhstan next week.

Celtic looked eager to settle any early nerves with a quick goal at the start and it went close in the third minute, as Griffiths's cross from the right wing dropped kindly for Sinclair and his first-time effort went agonisingly wide of the top-left corner.

Griffiths then went close himself a few moments later, heading past the right-hand post as Celtic showed their attacking intent.

Astana grew into the match, but Celtic managed to stifle it just after the half-hour mark by taking the lead.

Rogic charged into the right-hand side of the penalty area, squeezed between a couple of defenders and eventually saw his effort prodded into the goal by Postnikov.

The centre-back then spurned a glorious chance at the other end shortly after, somehow heading Serikzhan Muzhikov's teasing cross wide.

Sinclair made him pay, racing on to a miscued pass and slotting beyond Aleksandr Mokin just before the break.

The visitors looked better after the break and put Celtic under a bit more pressure, though Sinclair soon further eased the hosts' worries.

The forward linked well with Griffiths on the break, latching on to a pass in behind the Astana defence and finishing past the helpless Mokin.

Astana was livid, insisting that play should have been halted in the build-up owing to Rogic and Yuri Logvinenko clashing heads and needing medical attention.

Celtic was far from done, however. 

Forrest added a fourth goal in the 79th minute with a cool finish after more good play by Griffiths.

The striker was denied a deserved goal of his own right at the end, his left-footed effort deemed to be a Shitov own goal after taking a deflection on its way into the bottom-left corner.