Preview: Kairat vs Club Brugge - prediction, team news, lineups

Kairat Almaty host Club Brugge at the Astana Arena on Tuesday in a UEFA Champions League group phase encounter that marks the first competitive meeting between the two sides.

The Kazakh champions sit bottom of the league-phase standings and know that any further dropped points would mathematically end their European campaign, while Club Brugge arrive with hopes still intact of pushing into the top 24 and securing a place in the knockout playoff round.

Match preview

Kairat Almaty enter Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League league-phase fixture against Club Brugge still searching for momentum in what has been a historic but punishing debut campaign at Europe’s top level, having qualified for the competition by winning the 2024 Kazakhstan Premier League to secure their first-ever appearance in the Champions League proper.

That landmark achievement has come with a steep learning curve, as Rafael Urazbakhtin’s team have struggled to convert domestic success into European results against far more experienced opposition, remaining winless in their last 12 UEFA group-stage or league-phase matches with three draws and nine defeats while sitting bottom of the standings with just one point from six games.

Their most recent Champions League appearance ended in a narrow 1–0 home defeat to Olympiacos in December, a result that followed a spirited but costly 3–2 loss away to FC Copenhagen in November where defensive lapses ultimately overshadowed attacking promise.

Earlier in November, the Kazakh champions produced a competitive display at the San Siro but were beaten 2–1 by Inter Milan, extending their winless run, while their only point of the league phase came in October through a 0–0 home draw with Pafos that offered defensive encouragement but little reward in attack.

The scale of the challenge at this level was underlined in September when Kairat suffered a 5–0 home defeat to Real Madrid after opening their campaign with a 4–1 loss away to Sporting CP, leaving them with four goals scored and 15 conceded across their six league-phase fixtures.

Due to winter conditions in Almaty, UEFA approved the relocation of this fixture to the Astana Arena, whose retractable roof ensures suitable playing conditions but removes some of the familiarity typically associated with a home match for Kairat.

This fixture represents the first-ever UEFA competition meeting between Kairat Almaty and Club Brugge, with neither side having previously faced opposition from the other’s country.

Club Brugge travel to Astana with significantly greater European pedigree, having been regular participants in UEFA competitions over the past decade and securing their place in the 2025/26 Champions League league phase by progressing through the qualifying rounds in emphatic fashion, most notably with a dominant aggregate victory over Rangers.

Despite that experience, Ivan Leko’s team league-phase campaign has been marked by inconsistency, as they have struggled for defensive stability against elite opposition while intermittently displaying attacking quality, resulting in a stop-start rhythm to their European season.

Their most recent Champions League outing ended in a 3–0 home defeat to Arsenal in December, a result that underlined the gap between Brugge and one of the competition’s strongest sides and followed a domestic run in which attacking output has not always been supported by defensive solidity.

Brugge’s latest competitive match concluded with a surprise 3–2 home defeat to La Louvière in the Belgian First Division A on Friday, coming shortly after an entertaining 5–3 away victory over Genk in December and a narrow 2–1 home win against Gent in the same month.

They were particularly impressive last month when they swept aside Dender 5–1 away from home to demonstrate depth and efficiency in the final third, although familiar defensive vulnerabilities resurfaced in a 3–2 defeat away to Sint-Truiden where late concessions proved decisive.

Across their last six competitive matches, Club Brugge have recorded three wins and three defeats, scoring 19 goals while conceding 15, a return that highlights their attacking threat but also ongoing issues at the back.

Kairat Champions League form:

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Kairat form (all competitions):

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Club Brugge Champions League form:

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Club Brugge form (all competitions):

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Team News

After missing the defeat to Olympiacos through suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, Chelsea-bound Dastan Satpayev is available to return to the Kairat Almaty squad for Tuesday’s Champions League fixture.

The Almaty-based side have strengthened this month with the signing of Brazilian centre-back Lucas Africo, who could be handed his competitive debut in this match.

Ofri Arad is the only confirmed absentee for the hosts due to injury, although the defender is expected to return before Kairat’s final league-phase fixture against Arsenal later this month.

Club Brugge will be without both their first- and second-choice goalkeepers, with former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet set to miss the majority of the season because of a muscle injury, while Nordin Jackers was forced off just 19 minutes into the weekend defeat to La Louviere.

Dani van den Heuvel is therefore expected to start in goal, making his return to the starting line-up for the first time since losing his place to Jackers last year, while Joel Ordonez is available to feature in defence as his current suspension applies only to domestic competition.

Christos Tzolis, Romeo Vermant and Lynnt Audoor are also doubts and Raphael Onyedika is also unlikely to feature after playing the full 90 minutes as Nigeria secured the bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Kairat possible starting lineup:

Anarbekov; Mata, Sorokin, Africo, Tapalov; Kasabulat, Glazer, Gromyko, Ricardinho, Satpayev, Edmilson

Club Brugge possible starting lineup:

Van den Heuvel; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, Seys; Vanaken, Stankovic, Tzolis, Vetlesen, Tresoldi, Diakhon

We say: Kairat X-Y Club Brugge

Kairat Almaty enter the fixture with little left to play for in the competition, and their post-winter break form, combined with ongoing squad issues, offers few signs of an imminent turnaround. Club Brugge, by contrast, remain firmly in the hunt for a playoff place and will view this match as an opportunity to capitalise on a vulnerable opponent and secure vital points.

The visitors go into the contest as clear favourites, and with qualification still within reach, Brugge are expected to approach the tie with urgency and purpose as they look to claim a crucial victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.