Liam Scales spent the long haul trek to Kazakhstan catching up on classic films like LA Confidential. But the defender is hoping for a blockbuster display from the Hoops rather than being left investigating a Champions League crime scene. Scales and the Celts squad had plenty of time to kill on the mammoth 10 hour journey to the former Soviet outpost near the Russian border. Rollo Tomasi sounds like one of the million names linked with Celtic over the summer rather than the mysterious murderer in the 90s Russell Crowe epic. But it helped take the mind off the magnitude of what is at stake for the club here this evening. Scales said: “The journey was okay, the plane we travel on is comfortable. “We have it to ourselves, we get fed well, so it’s all really professional. The fact we also travelled on Sunday also helps. “That gives us that little bit more time to get over the flight. But personally, it won’t affect me. And I think a lot of the players are the same. “It was a comfortable enough journey to get here so it’s fine. “I watched LA Confidential on the way here. I have been going through lists on IMDB on the best movies to watch and then picking ones out for the journey. I hadn’t seen it before so I enjoyed it. “We travel a lot so I’ve been thinking of ways to spend the time on flights and in hotels. So I’m working my way through the best films. “We have today to focus. There will be a team meeting then we’ll go through everything again. “It was a relaxed atmosphere on the plane. We weren’t just thinking about the game. We freed our mind for that. “It’s the longest trip I’ve been on for competitive football. We went to Japan for preseason.” Scales is desperate to star on the big Champions League this season but he knows Celts can’t fluff their lines like last week. Kairat came to Glasgow to shut up shop and the Hoops lost their patience and struggled to get through. It could be a different type of game in Almaty, with the home side roared on by 20,000 fans. But Scales insisted the Hoops know the script. He said: “We maybe froze a little bit (in the first half last week. We know what’s at stake and just stiffened up a bit and tried to force things, and that’s not how we wanted to play. “That’s a fact. We know what we have to do better now to get the result we need. “This was always going to be a tough game whatever happened in the first-leg. We talk about the long trip and it’s not their home pitch. It was always going to be difficult regardless of the score coming here. So that doesn’t change. “We now know a bit more about the opposition now after playing against them so hopefully we can use that to our advantage.” The funny thing about last week’s stalemate was how familiar it looked. Take out the Champions League anthem and the pressure around the tie, and it was more like a run of the mill Premiership clash against teams who are determined to defend deep and in numbers. Most weeks Celtic keep their cool and find a way through and it’s a lesson to take into this evening as Kairat are not expected to go gung ho. He said: “I think it was (like a lot of Scottish games). They were very well organised and defended well with big experienced defenders. “You face that a lot in the league. They also had a threat on the break as well, which we also face a lot. “So it did feel like that. But we watched how they’d qualified through the other ties and knew that was the case. “It was similar to a domestic game but with that added atmosphere of a big Champions League qualifier. “In the first-half we just didn’t get into a flow and didn’t move the ball as fast as we wanted to. “That can happen sometimes. But we have a chance now to put that right.” Scales will be a leading man tonight – especially with Auston Trusty out – but he’s no stranger to stepping up to the occasion. And the 27-year-old is also still on a hight after being chucked the captain’s armband at the weekend against Livingston. He said: “It was an amazing experience – and it was a huge honour. “It’s such a big club and to be able to say now that I’ve led the team out at Celtic Park is just amazing. I got as good buzz off it. “I did the team-talk in the huddle too and that was a great experience. I’ve glad I can now say I’ve done it. “It didn’t affect my game either, which I was pleased about. I just wanted to play the same way as I usually do. But it was great. “I found out on the day of the game, when the manager announced the team. It hadn’t been on my mind so it was a surprise. I was just delighted when he told everyone at the meeting. “What kind of captain am I? I just try to give people good advice. I’m not ruthless with anyone. Not at all. “I’d say we have a young dressing room. We have senior guys like Cal, Jamesey and Kasper. There is another group around my age at 27 or 28. “We try and take on that leadership role – Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ally Johnston and Tony Ralston – and you feel it. Once you’ve played for a couple of years here and gain that experience then you naturally grow into that role.”