Kairat vs Olympiacos F.C.

Kairat Almaty head into this clash looking to revive their continental campaign after a difficult start. Having sealed the Kazakhstan Premier League title back in October, Rafael Urazbakhtin’s men have struggled to maintain rhythm due to the long gap in domestic fixtures, with only two UCL outings played since their triumph. Unfortunately for them, both ended in defeat — a narrow 2-1 loss to Inter Milan followed by a dramatic 3-2 setback against Copenhagen. The Team of the Nation begins this round sitting second from bottom in the league phase standings with just a single point from five matches [0W, 1D, 4L]. They are still chasing a historic first victory in the main draw of a major European competition, having so far recorded three draws and eight defeats. [0W, 3D, 8L]. Their home form, usually a cornerstone of their continental hopes, has deserted them as well, with the club in danger of becoming the first team since FC VSS Košice in 1997/98 to fail to score in their first three home matches of a UCL campaign. This will be the first-ever meeting between Kairat and Olympiacos, and the Kazakh champions will be eager to claim a maiden win against Greek opposition [0W, 1D, 3L]. Their task, however, is complicated by the absence of young striker Dastan Satpaev due to suspension, while João Paulo and Élder Santana continue their recovery from injury. Edmilson is expected to start upfront in a 4—2—3—1 formation.

Olympiacos arrive in Kazakhstan buoyed by strong domestic form, having moved to the summit of the Greek Super League following a comfortable 3-0 win over OFI. They come into this match on a three-game winning streak across all competitions [WWW], yet their continental campaign paints a different picture. José Luis Mendilibar’s side are still searching for their first UCL win of the season after a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid last time out, leaving them in 33rd place with two points [0W, 2D, 3L] and four points adrift of the top 24. They have prior successful experience against Kazakh opposition, taking four points off Astana in the 2016/17 Europa League. However, they will once again be without captain Panagiotis Retsos, who remains sidelined with a calf injury. Ayoub El Kaabi may lead their attacking line in a 4—2—3—1 pattern.