The Matchday 3 clash in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage between Kairat (Kazakhstan) and Pafos (Cyprus) will take place on October 21 at the Central Stadium in Almaty. Kairat vs. Pafos: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Kairat
Rafael Urazbakhtin's team has had a rough start to the main stage of the Champions League. After a disappointing away match against Sporting (1-4), they suffered a heavy 0-5 home defeat to Real Madrid, equaling their worst ever loss in the Champions League. With nine goals conceded in two rounds, Kairat has the worst defensive record in the tournament so far. The team has scored in only one of their last five Champions League matches. Alongside three other teams without points, Kairat is at the bottom of the group standings.
- Kairat has not won in their last five Champions League matches (2 draws, 3 losses).
- At home, Kairat has not conceded more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 Champions League games.
- The team opened the scoring in 5 of their last 7 home matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Kairat (4-3-3)
Temirlan Anarbekov – Alexander Martynovich, Egor Sorokin, Alexander Mrynsky, Erkin Tapalov – Valery Gromyko, Ofri Arad, Luis Mata – Damir Kasabulat, Jorginho Costa, Dastan Satpayev.
Goalkeeper Alexander Zarutsky is injured.
Pafos
In the previous round, the Cypriots suffered a similar fate, losing 1-5 at home to Bayern Munich. This was Juan Carlos Carcedo's team's first defeat in the Champions League (4 wins, 3 draws). Before facing Bayern, Pafos had not conceded more than one goal in a match. Moreover, they have kept four clean sheets in this tournament. With one point, Pafos is currently in 32nd place in the standings.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Pafos's last 7 Champions League matches.
- The Cypriots have scored in 7 of their 8 matches in this European competition.
- Pafos remains unbeaten away in the Champions League (3 wins, 1 draw).
Predicted lineup for Pafos (4-3-3)
Neofytos Michael – David Gomez Goldar, Derrick Luckassen, David Luiz, Ognen Mimovic – Ivan Sunjic, Vlad Dragomir, Pepe Rodrigues – Mislav Orsic, Jaja, Landry Dimata.
Referee
Chris Kavanagh (England)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 29;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 14%.
Kairat vs. Pafos: Match Prediction
In the upcoming match, the hosts have a chance to earn points in the Champions League, or even become the first Kazakh club to win in the main round of this tournament. The Cypriots are considerably weaker than Kairat's previous opponents. Urazbakhtin's side lost decisively to Real Madrid, but before that, they had a six-match unbeaten home run in this European competition (5 wins, 1 draw). It's worth noting that they kept a clean sheet in 5 of those matches.
Pafos couldn't withstand their first serious opponent. However, the Cypriots have already proven to be a strong and resilient team. I believe Juan Carlos Carcedo's side will put up a fight against the Kazakhs. Additionally, Pafos remains unbeaten away in the Champions League (3 wins, 1 draw). It's also worth mentioning that Pafos has been defensively solid this season, with only Bayern Munich managing to score more than one goal against them.
In a match between two teams with strong defenses, I favor the hosts. My prediction: Kairat will not lose and Total under 3.5 goals
