Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they travel to Kazakhstan to square up against Kairat Almaty on Tuesday evening.
Kairat Almaty will be hoping to put up a strong fight against the European giants, Real Madrid, at home. While the home side will be excited to square up against the most dominant team in the competition, they will certainly hope to script an incredible upset.
After successfully going past the qualifying stage, the home team are taking part in the main event for the first time in their history, and they certainly have an exciting list of fixtures on their hand. While not many are expecting them to go through to the next round, Kairat will surely try their best to create history.
The hosts suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sporting CP in Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League, which suggests there is a massive gulf in quality between them and the top European clubs. This challenge against Real Madrid could turn out to be a very long ninety minutes if things go wrong.
Meanwhile, the visitors were off to a flying start with six straight wins in the league and claimed all three points against Marseille in their UEFA Champions League opener. However, they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-2 hammering at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the derby.
Xabi Alonso’s team were completely outclassed, and they will be hoping to get things back on track with a statement win. They were not convincing enough in their Champions League opener, which suggests there is a lot to take care of. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Kairat Almaty
Kairat will be without the services of Elder Santana, Joao Paulo, Temirlan Anarbekov, and Giorgi Zaria. Meanwhile, Alexandr Zarutskiy’s availability is a major doubt. If he is not back in time, Serkhan Kalmurza will continue in goal.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Kalmurza will take charge in goal. Yerkin Tapalov and Luis Mata will be the full-backs, with Alyaksandr Martynovich pairing up with Yegor Sorokin in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Damir Kasabulat will pair up with Ofri Arad in the centre of the park. The duo will not only shield the backline but also try to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.
Aleksandr Mrynskiy and Valery Gromyko will feature out wide on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Jorginho will take up the number ten role, while Dastan Satpayev is expected to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kalmurza; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Mata; Kassabulat, Arad; Mrynskiy, Jorginho, Gromyko; Satpaev
Kairat Almaty vs Real Madrid Predicted XI
Real Madrid
Los Blancos have quite a few injury concerns heading into this fixture. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao picked up knocks in their last outing and will be out for a while. The defensive duo has joined Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy on the sidelines.
The team in white could go ahead with the same backline that they fielded in the game against Levante, where Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia will be the full-backs, while Alvaro Carreras will take up a central role alongside Dean Huijsen.
With Xabi Alonso’s team likely to lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde should form the double pivot. They will look to ensure Real Madrid dominate the proceedings and control the tempo of the game.
Arda Guler should continue in the number ten role, with Franco Mastantuono and Vinicius Junior on the flanks. Kylian Mbappe will spearhead the attack for Real Madrid against Kairat Almaty on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
Kairat Almaty vs Real Madrid Predicted XI
Key Stats
Kairat Almaty are all set to square up against Real Madrid for the first time in their history.
Los Blancos have lost only two out of their last 18 games in all competitions (W15 D1).
The Kazakh outfit are unbeaten in 10 out of their last 11 home games in all competitions (W9 D1).
Xabi Alonso’s team have been in the lead heading into half-time in five out of their last seven games. They have scored at least three goals in six of those matches.
The team in white were on a seven-match winning streak before they got smashed by Atletico Madrid in their last outing.
Player to Watch
Federico Valverde
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The 27-year-old has been one of the mainstays at Real Madrid for years. Valverde is one of the first names on their team sheet, and he has started the majority of the games under Xabi Alonso as well. While the versatile midfielder is quite highly rated by everyone, he hasn’t been at his best this season.
Following Real Madrid’s defeat against Atletico Madrid, a lot of questions were raised about the South American star. While he has three assists in his eight outings, Valverde has not had the impact he normally has. He will certainly be eager to get back to his best and help his team return to winning ways.
Prediction
Kairat Almaty 0-5 Real Madrid
Real Madrid will be eager to bounce back from their heavy defeat in the Madrid derby when they take on Kairat Almaty. Xabi Alonso’s men have looked ruthless in the league and have already made a winning start to their UEFA Champions League campaign, and this fixture gives them the perfect opportunity to regain confidence.
Los Blancos should have too much firepower for the Kazakhstan outfit, who will struggle to contain Madrid’s relentless forward play. While Kairat will look to make home advantage count and frustrate the Spanish giants, the gulf in quality is undeniable.
The home side’s defence will likely be under pressure from the opening whistle, and given how clinical Real Madrid usually are after setbacks, it could turn into a one-sided contest. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-0 win for the away team.