FC Kairat Almaty vs Olympiakos: UEFA Champions League matchday six preview

 FC Kairat Almaty vs Olympiakos: 

UEFA Champions League matchday six preview



By Stephen Kountourou

UEFA Champions League League Phase Matchday Six

Kick-off Time: 17:30 Greek Time

Venue: Astana Arena

Where to Watch: Cosmote Sport 1 HD


It's come down to this. Five matches later, Olympiakos finds themselves with just two points. Even with a mixture of a tough draw, misfortune, spirited performances and moments of madness, it simply hasn't been good enough. 

That is why, if the Greek champions wish to clinch a place in the top 24 and the UEFA Champions League playoffs, they must win their final three games. No excuses, no mistakes. If they do not, then they don't deserve to qualify at all. 

A long and arduous journey to play Kazakhstani side FC Kairat Almaty awaits them. While they face a team that they will be the favourites to play, Thrylos cannot afford to underestimate the Champions League debutants or face the daunting reality of potential elimination from Europe's elite competition.


Last time in the UCL

Olympiakos hosted arguably the biggest football club in the world, Real Madrid, in a game where a 3-4 score line was perhaps not an entirely accurate reflection of Thrylos in Karaiskaki. 

The Greek champions went ahead through a nicely worked goal from Chiquinho, who combined well with Ayoub El Kaabi and Daniel Podence. Despite having a depleted defence, this was still Real Madrid and Los Blancos from that point on went up a gear. Within the space of 15 minutes, Kylian Mbappe had scored a hat-trick, and Mendilibar's men were behind at halftime.

After the restart, the hosts did not give up and continued to pressure the Spanish giants and pulled one back through Mehdi Taremi, who had been subbed on for the injured Chiquinho. On the stroke of the hour mark, however, Mbappe scored his and Real Madrid's fourth to put the game almost out of sight. El Kaabi pulled another one back, and although Thrylos kept pressing for an equaliser to the end, they ultimately failed to do so.


Having completed their league campaign in October, FC Kairat have only had Champions League fixtures to play, with their most recent was their trip to Denmark to play FC Copenhagen, and they narrowly lost 3-2, which is what it looked like just from the full-time result.

In reality, Copenhagen were 3-0 up and cruising to victory. The Kazakhstani champions pulled two back with 15 minutes of the game to go, but they left it too late to snatch a point on the road.


Recent results

Thrylos, by contrast to their upcoming opponent, have played three games since the match against Real Madrid. A hard-fought 0-1 win away to Panetolikos via an El Kaabi header was first before travelling to the Island of Syros to play Ellas Syrou in the Greek Cup. The second division side gave a good showing of themselves, but Olympiakos ultimately prevailed in a 2-5 win.

Back at Karaiskaki for their latest league fixture, Olympiakos comfortably dispatched league strugglers OFI 3-0, and it could have been more. Ayoub El Kaabi scored a first-half brace, after which Gabriel Strefezza, who was having an excellent game, capped it off with the hosts' third.


Thrylos’s record in Kazakhstan

Olympiakos have only played one team from the ex Soviet countries, that being Astana in the 2016/17 edition of the Europa League group stages. Thrylos over the two matches won 4-1 in Piraeus, but the more relevant fixture is obviously away at the Astana Arena. There, they only drew 1-1, meaning that while they are undefeated against teams from Kazakhstan, a draw away this time around will simply not be good enough.


Anything but a win, and it is all but over

As this is the last Champions League fixture of 2025 before the Christmas break, Olympiakos, to reemphasise, must win this match. Firstly and foremost, to keep themselves within contention for a place in the playoffs and remain in Europe beyond the end of January when the League Phase conclude, but also to get the monkey off the players' backs of having yet to claim a victory. 

Kairat have proved, like Olympiakos in some ways, while the two are yet to win also they are also capable of giving much better opponents a scare.

Despite not having consistent football since their league concluded in October, and apart from a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Real Madrid, they have more recently been able to hold their own in games against much better opposition, although this is without getting meaningful points. 

Case in point, the Copenhagen game where they very nearly snatched a draw and even took a shock 0-1 lead against Inter and held them for a large portion of the match, before the Italian giants came back to win.

Jose Luis Mendilibar and his players have been speaking from the start of this Champions League campaign about what their aim is this season and how much they want to give to be in the top 24 when all eight matches are played. 

Now it is time to show that fully on the pitch, and when the final whistle goes, not only play well, to be on the end of a score line that is reflective of their efforts. It is now or never.


@SteveKountourou

Hellas Football


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