Kairat vs Real Madrid

Kairat Almaty’s first taste of the UEFA Champions League league phase was a harsh one. The Kazakh champions held their own for long spells against Sporting CP on matchday one but collapsed after the break, conceding three goals in less than five minutes to slump to a 4-1 defeat. Even so, they quickly regained momentum domestically, beating Zhenis 3-1, and can take encouragement from having kept four clean sheets in their last six games across all competitions. This fixture marks another milestone in Kairat’s European adventure. It will be just their fourth home outing in major continental competition, with their previous appearances coming in the 2021-22 UEFA Conference League [0W, 1D, 2L]. The Team of the Nation are still chasing a first home victory, and the challenge could hardly be greater: welcoming the 14-time European champions to Kazakhstan. Interestingly, this will only be the second time a club from Kazakhstan has faced Spanish opposition in the European Cup or UCL, following Astana’s pair of group-stage encounters with Atlético Madrid in 2015-16 [0-4 away, 0-0 at home]. Kairat, however, must do without attacking duo João Paulo and Élder Santana, both sidelined. Coach Rafael Urazbakhtin is expected to start Dastan Satpayev in the frontline of a 4—2—3—1 formation.

Real Madrid, by contrast, opened their latest quest for continental glory with a 2-1 success against Marseille, extending their record of having beaten more different opponents [111] in European Cup/Champions League history than any other side. Yet their aura of invincibility took a dent at the weekend, as Xabi Alonso’s men were humbled 5-2 by city rivals Atlético Madrid in La Liga at the weekend – their first competitive loss of the season after seven straight victories [7W, 0D, 1L]. Los Blancos also have recent struggles in away fixtures on this stage, losing both of their last two UCL games on the road [0-1 at Atlético, 0-3 at Arsenal]. They have not suffered three consecutive away defeats in the competition since 2001, so avoiding unwanted history will be on their minds. Team news adds further intrigue. Dani Carvajal is suspended after his red card against Marseille, while Éder Militão faces a late fitness test following a knock sustained in the Madrid derby. Alonso may opt for a 4—2—3—1 pattern with Kylian Mbappé leading the attack.