Sporting Lisbon vs Kairat

The reigning Portuguese champions approach their opener in excellent spirits. Rui Borges’ squad recently secured their first Primeira Liga victory against Famalicão (2-1) on the road, continuing their chase of Porto, from whom they trail by 3 points following a previous 1-2 defeat. Undoubtedly, compared to Kairat, the ‘Lions’ are a significantly more experienced and skilled team. The home support at José Alvalade will certainly provide an extra boost in this fixture. Sporting will be without Santos, Catamo, and Bragança against the Kazakh champions, while Morita and Diomande are also sidelined.

Kairat has already undertaken what is likely the longest journey in history, landing in Lisbon after a staggering 6900km flight from Almaty. Such an extensive trip will undoubtedly take its toll on the team’s condition – jet lag, acclimatization issues, and significant goalkeeper problems clearly position the ‘Yellow-Blacks’ as major underdogs in this encounter. Last weekend, Uruzbakhtin’s squad suffered a crucial loss with Anarbekov, the goalkeeper who famously saved a penalty against Celtic and helped guide the team to their first-ever appearance. In their match against Aktobe (1-0), he sustained a head injury and was hospitalized, making it extremely difficult to face such a strong opponent with a very inexperienced third-choice goalkeeper, especially after such a grueling journey. In addition to Anarbekov, the primary goalkeeper Zarutsky is also injured, as are two Brazilian players, João Paulo and Helder Santana.