Real Madrid’s trip to Kazakhstan arrives at a delicate moment.
Just days removed from a bruising 5-2 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, Xabi Alonso’s men will try to steady the ship Tuesday against Champions League debutants Kairat Almaty – a matchup that blends Europe’s most decorated club with one of its newest faces on the grand stage.
Los Blancos opened their European campaign with a 2-1 win over Marseille, part of a flawless start under Alonso that stretched across seven games in all competitions. Momentum seemed unstoppable – until it unraveled at the Metropolitano.
A two-goal lead courtesy of Kylian Mbappe and Arda Güler collapsed in stunning fashion, leaving Madrid stripped of bragging rights, their defensive frailties exposed, and Barcelona perched above them in La Liga.
The wounds linger, but history favors Madrid. They’ve won 24 of their last 30 first-time meetings in European competition, losing just three.
Tuesday marks their first-ever clash with Kairat, a side playing in the main draw of the Champions League for the first time after surviving a gauntlet of qualifiers – including a nerve-shredding penalty shootout against Celtic.
For Kairat, the night is nothing short of historic.
The Kazakh champions stumbled in their opener, falling 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon, but they remain unbeaten at home in Europe this season, recording four consecutive clean sheets in Almaty during qualifying.
Rested after a 3-1 league win over Zhenis on Sept. 22, Rafael Urazbakhtin’s side hopes to harness home support and defensive resilience against Europe’s giants.
Injuries, though, have thinned their options. Strikers Elder Santana and Joao Paulo are long-term absentees, while keeper Temirlan Anarbekov and midfielder Giorgi Zaria are also sidelined.
That leaves 18-year-old goalkeeper Serkhan Kalmurza potentially starting again, with local talent Dastan Satpaev carrying the attack after scoring twice in his last three matches.
Madrid are no less stretched. Alonso’s defensive crisis deepened with Dani Carvajal and eder Militao joining an injury list that already includes Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy.
The back line that beat Levante last week – Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras – could be asked to shoulder the load again.
Franco Mastantuono is pushing for a recall in attack, potentially at Jude Bellingham’s expense.
