Kairat take on the visitors Real Madrid in the round 2 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Tuesday, September 30th at Almaty Central Stadium (Almaty).
Kairat are not considered the strongest even in their own country, despite a long history by Kazakh standards. Once the “face” of the republic in Soviet times, they won the championship in 1992 after independence. Since then they have added only three more league titles, including last season’s. In the current campaign they are again battling with Astana. This summer, however, they delivered a whole series of shocks. Step by step the supposed underdogs knocked out Olimpija Ljubljana, KuPS, and Slovan Bratislava. And in the decisive playoff round, after a pair of goalless draws, they eliminated Celtic on penalties. In Lisbon, though, they could not hold out in their opening group game, losing heavily 1-4. That was despite Julmand missing a first-half penalty. Filho did at least get on the scoresheet, though it was a mere consolation and did not change the outcome. Kairat’s run has already been historic for Kazakh football, energizing fans and giving the club international recognition. Yet their defensive frailties were brutally exposed against Sporting, raising doubts about whether they can cope with elite opposition.
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Real Madrid will try to get the result with minimum effort. Los Blancos failed to lift any trophies in 2025, and the pressure is clearly there. Last season Ancelotti lost everything domestically to Barcelona (and in the Champions League they were beaten deservedly by Arsenal), and in the summer under Xabi Alonso they also underwhelmed at the Club World Cup. The new season has at least started with wins. They even beat Marseille in the Champions League last round, though not without drama, as the favorites conceded first before Mbappé struck twice from the spot. Naturally, the target now is another victory. Still, in their most recent La Liga outing they were humiliated 2-5 in the Madrid derby by Atletico, a blow that cannot be ignored. After the long trip to Kazakhstan they must face Villarreal, which means squad rotation is almost inevitable. Real’s depth in attack, with players like Vinícius and Rodrygo complementing Mbappé, remains formidable. However, their defensive structure has looked shaky at times, leaving them vulnerable to quick counterattacks.
Such prestigious visitors will of course be playing in Almaty for the very first time. The visitors are expected to win no matter what, and not just narrowly — the value is on Real with a -2.5 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win with -1.0 handicap.
