Kairat Almaty Face Panathinaikos in UEFA Conference League Match

Panathinaikos travels to face Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Conference League, carrying strong European form against Kazakhstani opposition into a fixture where the Greek side will fancy their chances following an opening-round win.

Kairat Almaty Seeks First European Win

Kairat Almaty enters the match searching for its first victory in major European competition after drawing 1-1 with Riga last week. That draw pushed the club’s European record to four draws and 11 losses, though they rebounded domestically with a 5-0 win over the weekend to stay in the Kazakhstan Premier League title race.

History and home form point to a difficult challenge for the hosts. Kairat has lost five of its seven home matches in the group and league phase of main draw European competition, drawing the other two.

Panathinaikos Pursues Back-to-Back Wins

Panathinaikos opened its Conference League campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Borac Banja Luka. Jacob Neestrup’s side dominated the fixture by attempting 31 shots—second only to Brighton’s 35 in the first round—while facing a tournament-low four shots defensively.

The Greek outfit enters the match having extended their impressive form in major European competition to only one defeat from their last ten matches (W4, D5). Another victory would mark the club’s first back-to-back wins to start a European campaign since the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.

Player Form and Squad Availability

Kairat forward Marc Gual has scored in five of his last six competitive matches, netting seven total goals during that stretch and opening the scoring in his last three scoring outings. Cyriel Dessers has scored six times this season for Panathinaikos, including in each of his last two competitive appearances.

Kairat reports no new availability issues ahead of the fixture. Azzedine Ounahi is expected to miss the match for Panathinaikos.