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Tengrinews.kz – The first group stage match of the UEFA Champions League saw Lisbon’s Sporting host Kazakhstan’s Kairat. The match, held at José Alvalade Stadium, was historic for Kairat as it marked the Almaty club’s debut in the group stage of the competition.
First Half
Sporting started the match with aggressive pressing. In the 5th minute, Georgian midfielder Georgi Kochorashvili received a yellow card for pushing Kairat defender Damir Kasabulat.
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Kairat earned their first corner in the 8th minute, delivered by Belarusian midfielder Valeriy Gromyko, but the opportunity went unconverted, as did the next corner.
In the 11th minute, Sporting launched a counterattack, which was stopped by Russian defender Yegor Sorokin, who cleared the ball out of play.
A penalty was awarded to Sporting in the 20th minute after a foul by Mrinsky. Danish midfielder and captain Morten Hjulmann stepped up, but 18-year-old Kairat goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza saved the shot with his foot, keeping his goal intact.
Kairat received their first yellow card in the 39th minute when Portuguese forward Jorginho fouled Georgi Kochorashvili and was booked.
The first goal came in the 44th minute. Sporting forward Francisco Trincão received a backheel pass from Kochorashvili and scored from outside the penalty area, ending the first half 1–0 in favor of the hosts.
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Second Half
Sporting continued to dominate in the second half, though Kairat had a few chances. Within 15 minutes, Erkin Tapalov, Dastan Satpaev, and Jorginho all attempted shots on goal, but failed to score.
Sporting made their first substitutions in the 61st minute: Pedro Gonçalves replaced Alisson Santos, Kochorashvili replaced Hidemasa Morita, and Luis Javier Suárez replaced Fotis Ioannidis.
In the 64th minute, Sporting extended their lead. Spanish defender Ivan Fresneda delivered a reverse pass to Francisco Trincão, who scored his second goal into the top-left corner. Two minutes later, Alisson Santos added a third after a pass from winger Giovanni Kenda. Shortly after, Giovanni Kenda scored the fourth, dribbling past three defenders and finishing low.
Kairat managed a consolation goal in the 86th minute. Edmilson scored from the edge of the penalty area with a first-time shot under the crossbar, assisted by Ricardino.
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The match ended 4–1 in favor of Sporting. Sporting’s next opponent in the Champions League will be Napoli on October 2 in Italy.
Kairat will face a tougher challenge in their next match against Real Madrid at Central Stadium in Almaty on September 30.
Following the first group stage round, Kairat currently shares 33rd/34th place in the table with Monaco, both with a goal difference of –3.
