Kairat vs Real Madrid: Can the Underdogs Cause an Upset?

Madridistas brave jet lag for big match in Kazakhstan

Real Madrid takes on Kairat in the Champions League after a grueling 7-hour flight. Kairat looks to pull off a major upset against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

“I'm sure we're going to win. Just one player of Real Madrid is incredible. When you go to the Bernabeu every...”

Real Madrid fans traveled over 6,400 kilometers from their home turf to Almaty, Kazakhstan, for the highly anticipated Champions League match against Kairat. Despite the long journey, the Spanish supporters were in high spirits, strolling through the city's wide boulevards, chanting, and waving flags.

👊 UCL MODE: 🔛 pic.twitter.com/bnx4LAzHPU

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 29, 2025

“Honestly, I haven't seen the Kazakh team playing, but for sure it's going to be a tough game,” said Joaquin Botella, a 40-year-old Real Madrid fan. “I hope Madrid will win.” The fans are hoping their team can bounce back from Saturday's defeat to derby rivals Atletico Madrid.

“Probably, they (Kairat) will try to make their best for the match,” said 54-year-old flight attendant Yolanda Castellanos.

“It's the game of their life.”

Plane captain and Real Madrid fan Francisco Asencio expressed more confidence, saying, “I think we'll win 2-0 or 3-0,” as he looked forward to the match against Kairat in Kazakhstan.

🔜 @ChampionsLeague 🔜
📹 INSIDE TRAINING ➡️ RM PLAY

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 29, 2025

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid side suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Saturday, conceding five goals against their city rivals for the first time since 1950. Alonso admitted that his team “deserved” the loss, citing a poor performance on the field. Despite the setback, he believes the defeat could serve as a valuable lesson for the team.

Real Madrid will look to bounce back from this defeat as they face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Athletic described this matchup as “arguably the biggest mismatch in the competition's history.” Kairat, who began their Champions League campaign with a 4-1 thrashing by Sporting in Portugal, will be highly motivated to put up a good fight in their first home game. The match is scheduled to take place at the Central Stadium in Almaty, with kickoff at 17:45 WAT on September 30, 2025.

👋 Arriving for duty! pic.twitter.com/7B0KshqMY3

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 29, 2025

“I'm sure we're going to win. Just one player of Real Madrid is incredible. When you go to the Bernabeu every Sunday and you see any one of them. The quality they have... it's amazing,” he said.

Real Madrid kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Marseille at home. However, they'll face a challenge adjusting to the three-hour time zone shift and jet lag after their seven-hour flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan, for their match against Kairat.

Despite the travel fatigue, most Real Madrid fans were thrilled to be in Kazakhstan, soaking up the atmosphere and cheering on their team.