Real Madrid will be aiming to shake off the sting of their derby humiliation against Atletico when they make the long journey to Kazakhstan for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Kairat Almaty.
The Spanish giants opened their European campaign with a 2-1 win over Marseille, while debutants Kairat endured a harsh introduction, falling 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon despite a late consolation from Edmilson.
For Kairat, this season represents a historic milestone: their first-ever appearance in the Champions League group stage. The Kazakh champions fought their way through four qualifying rounds, dispatching Olimpija Ljubljana, KuPS, and Slovan Bratislava before dramatically edging Celtic on penalties to book their spot among Europe’s elite.
The reality of the competition, though, hit hard on matchday one. A strong Sporting Lisbon side proved far too powerful, sending Kairat back to Almaty with lessons learned. Since then, Rafael Urazbakhtin’s men have steadied themselves with a 3-1 domestic league victory over Zhenis on September 22, giving them a confidence boost and a much-needed rest period before facing their toughest assignment yet.
This will be just the second Champions League encounter between Kazakh and Spanish clubs, the first being Astana’s meetings with Atletico Madrid back in 2015-16. Encouragingly, Kairat built their campaign on defensive solidity, recording clean sheets in all four of their home qualifiers, and they will be desperate to rediscover that resilience against Europe’s most decorated club.
Over in Spain, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid made a blistering start to life under their new boss. Seven straight wins across all competitions, capped by a 2-1 triumph over Marseille and emphatic league victories against Espanyol (2-0) and Levante (4-1), had Los Blancos flying.
But football can turn quickly. Their momentum came to a screeching halt in Saturday’s derby at the Metropolitano, where despite early goals from Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler, they collapsed to a stunning 5-2 defeat against Atletico. The loss not only bruised pride but also cost Madrid top spot in La Liga, with Barcelona sneaking ahead by a single point after beating Real Sociedad.
Now, Alonso’s men face a test of character. Real Madrid traditionally thrive when facing unfamiliar opposition in Europe, winning 24 of their last 30 first-time meetings (D3, L3). They will hope that record holds strong in Almaty.
Still, there are concerns over their away form in this competition. Last season’s Champions League campaign saw Madrid stumble on the road, with three wins and four defeats in seven European away games. Tuesday offers the chance to set a new tone.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Kairat head into Tuesday’s clash with significant absentees, as attacking duo Elder Santana and Joao Paulo have both been sidelined long-term with anterior cruciate ligament injuries and were left out of the squad for the group stage.
Further concerns come with goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov and midfielder Giorgi Zaria, who are also unavailable through injury, while doubts linger over Alexandr Zarutskiy’s fitness. Should the latter fail to recover in time, 18-year-old Serkhan Kalmurza will once again be tasked with guarding the net against the 15-time European champions.
In attack, exciting youngster Dastan Satpaev is expected to spearhead the frontline, having scored in two of his last three outings and quickly emerging as one of Kairat’s brightest prospects.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, arrive in Almaty nursing their own selection problems. Veteran right-back Dani Carvajal faces around a month on the sidelines after sustaining a calf injury in Saturday’s derby with Atletico, while fellow defender Éder Militão was also forced off in the same game and has not travelled.
Xabi Alonso’s defensive woes are compounded by the continued absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger, and Ferland Mendy, leaving the Spanish giants short of experienced options at the back. As a result, Alonso may stick with the makeshift backline that impressed in the 4-1 victory over Levante, where Raúl Asencio and Fran García lined up as full-backs and Álvaro Carreras filled in at centre-half.
Further up the pitch, Franco Mastantuono is pushing for a recall to the starting XI, potentially at the expense of Jude Bellingham, who made his first start since the Club World Cup during the weekend defeat to Atletico.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Kairat possible starting lineup:
Kalmurza; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Mata; Kassabulat, Arad; Mrynskiy, Jorginho, Gromyko; Satpaev
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
EXPERT PREDICTION
Kairat 0-3 Real Madrid
