The two clubs will face off for the first time in history

Real Madrid are in for a rare Champions League-first when they take on Kazakhstan Premier League side Kairat.

Despite the long journey from the Spanish capital to Asia, Real Madrid will be more than eager to return to the pitch in the aftermath of their Madrid derby defeat. The quick turnaround gives Los Blancos little time to dwell on the poor result before they face off with Kairat.

While the Spanish giants collected three points in their Champions League opener against Marseille, Rafael Urazbakhtin’s men suffered a 4–1 defeat to Sporting CP. Kairat now have the tall task of hosting the 15-time European champions for the first time in history.

On paper, the matchup is rather lopsided, especially with Kylian Mbappé chasing down the competition’s all-time leading goalscorers. The Frenchman, along with the entirety of his team, will be determined to get back to winning ways and make a statement in Tuesday’s clash.

Kairat are still without both Élder Santana and João Paulo. The two players are recovering from respective ACL injuries and are not expected to return to match fitness until 2026.

Temirlan Anarbekov and Giorgi Zaria are also sidelined due to injury, while Aleksandr Zarutsky remains a doubt. Should the latter miss out on the clash, Urazbakhtin will have to rely on Serkhan Kalmurza, who has just three first-team appearances at age 18, to get the nod between the posts.

Dastan Satpayev will hope to make a large enough impact up top to give his goalkeeper a favorable cushion when going up against one of the most dangerous teams in Europe.

Kairat predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Kalmurza; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Mata; Kassabulat, Arad; Mrynskiy, Jorginho, Gromyko; Satpaev.

Not only did Real Madrid lose the Madrid derby, but they also suffered a double injury blow. Éder Militão sustained a minor ankle problem and Dani Carvajal injured his right leg. Both players are now in the infirmary and did not make the trip to Asia.

Militão and Carvajal join Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy on the sidelines, leaving Alonso with just five first-team defenders available. The manager must decide whether to give Fede Valverde or Raúl Asencio the nod at right back.

Otherwise, expect Alonso to rotate some of his star players, leaving the door open for Eduardo Camavinga and Fran García to start in Tuesday’s clash.

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Kairat (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, F. García; Camavinga, Tchouaméni; Mastantuono, Güler, Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé.