Top Stories

kairat vs kups

Silas Avatar
Silas

KuPS continued their impressive form in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers by defeating Kairat Almaty 2-0 in the first leg, putting them in a strong position ahead of the decisive return fixture at Almaty’s Central Stadium on July 29, 2025[1]. The goals in Finland came from Mohamed Toure and Jaakko Oksanen, extending KuPS’s unbeaten streak to eight matches across all competitions[5].

Kairat, who previously knocked out Olimpija in the first qualifying round, now face the challenge of overturning a two-goal deficit. They will rely on their strong home record, having won five of their last seven games at Central Stadium, including a recent 3-1 domestic victory over FC Tobol[5]. Attacking players like Jorginho and in-form teenager Dastan Satpayev are expected to be crucial, with Brazil forward Ricardinho pushing for a starting role, but there are no fresh injury worries for the hosts[3][5].

KuPS, for their part, are expected to adopt a defense-oriented approach to protect their aggregate lead. The Finnish side has demonstrated resilient defense in recent matches, conceding very few goals, and have only lost once in their last 14 games[2]. Midfielder Jaakko Oksanen, scorer of a key goal in the first leg, remains vital, while Samuel Pasanen is their main injury absentee[3].

Both teams are likely to play with high intensity—Kairat headlined by their need for attacking urgency, KuPS countering with compact defending and efficient transitions. With the Kazakh side expected to dominate possession and push forward, KuPS could look to exploit counterattacks, making for a potentially dramatic second leg[2].

The fixture, which starts at 15:00 UTC at Almaty Ortalyk Stadion, is central to both clubs’ ambitions to reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League for the first time in their respective histories[4]. Betting analysts generally favor a Kairat home win but expect KuPS to also get on the scoresheet, keeping the contest alive right to the final whistle[2][3][5].

References

Other Posts