Preview: Copenhagen vs Kairat – prediction, team news, lineups

Kairat Almaty will travel to the Parken Stadium to face FC Copenhagen on Wednesday evening in the UEFA Champions League, with both sides still looking for their first win of the league stage.

Both teams are tied on one point after four matches and are bottom of the 36-team table, making this a fixture that is as much about survival as it is progress.

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match preview

FC Copenhagen’s struggles in this season’s Champions League have been clearly visible, with the Danish champions currently sitting 33rd in the standings with just one point from four matches.

They have recorded three defeats and one draw so far, scoring four goals while conceding 12, with defensive weaknesses having defined their European campaign.

A heavy 4–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on matchday four extended their run to three consecutive Champions League defeats – their longest in the competition.

They have conceded at least twice in six consecutive European matches so far, underscoring how exposed they have often been defensively.

Their best performance came on the opening night, when they held Bayer Leverkusen to a 2–2 draw, but subsequent defeats to Qarabag (2–0) and Borussia Dortmund (4–2 at home) highlighted their ongoing struggles, particularly in transition.

Despite those results, Jakob Nystrup’s men have maintained their strong home scoring record by finding the net in each of their last 18 UEFA home matches.

Domestically, Copenhagen are fourth in the Danish Superliga with 28 points on the board after 16 games, and they come into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win at home against Brøndby on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kairat Almaty arrive in Denmark facing similar difficulties in Europe – the Kazakh champions are 34th in the table, having also taken just one point from four matches.

They have scored only two goals while conceding 11, following heavy defeats to Sporting CP and Real Madrid at the start of the campaign followed by a strong goalless draw against Paphos before a close defeat to Inter Milan on matchday four.

Despite the results, their goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov has been one of the standout performers in the competition, conceding only twice the expected goals at a goal value close to six – more goals than any other goalkeeper has prevented so far.

The problems lie even further for Rafael Urzabakhtin’s side – Kairat currently sit second for goals conceded and bottom for goals conceded, giving them the worst xG difference in the opening four rounds.

However, domestically, they have had far more success, winning the Kazakhstan Premier League title with only three defeats throughout the season.

This will be the first meeting between the two clubs and also the first major European clash between the teams of Denmark and Kazakhstan.

Kairat’s only previous experience against Danish opposition came 11 years ago, when they were knocked out by Esbjerg in a Europa League qualifier.

They are winless in their Champions League history with a record of five draws and five defeats in 10 matches, with all three of their stalemates ending goalless – highlighting their ongoing difficulty in converting defensive structure into offensive productivity.

Copenhagen Champions League form:

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Copenhagen form (all competitions):

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Carat Champions League form:

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Carat Form (all competitions):

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team news

FC Copenhagen have a long injury list ahead of this clash, with Liam West unavailable due to competition registration rules while Thomas Delaney is recovering from injury.

Birger Melling and Oliver Höjer are out with injuries, Magnus Mattsson is still out with a cruciate ligament injury, and Rodrigo Huesca is out with a knee problem.

Nistrup is expected to continue with his 4-4-2 system, with Dominik Kotarski behind the back four goals of Junnosuke Suzuki, Gabriel Pereira, Pantelis Hatzidiakos and Marcos Lopez.

Lucas Lerager and William Clemm should anchor the midfield, with Jordan Larsson and Elias Achouri providing the width, while Youssoufa Moukoko is ready to partner Mohamed Elyounsi in attack.

For Caracas Almaty, Joao Paulo and Elder Santana are both unavailable with cruciate ligament injuries.

Urazbakhtin is expected to retain his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation – Anarbekov should start in goal, with Alexander Minsky, Alexander Shirobokov, Egor Sorokin and Luis Mata forming the defensive line.

Damir Kasabulat and Ofri Arad will act as a double pivot, while Dastan Satpaev, Jorginho and Valery Gromyko will support lone striker Edmilson.

If selected, 17-year-old Dastan Satpaev will become the youngest player to start in his team’s first five Champions League fixtures.

Copenhagen probable starting lineup:

Kotarski; Suzuki, Pereira, Hatzidiakos, Lopez; Larsen, Leregar, Klemm, Achouri; elyounoussi, moukoko

Carat Probable starting lineup:

Anarbekov; Mata, Sorokin, Shirobokov, Mrinsky; Arad, Kasabulat; Satpaev, Jorginho, Gromyko; admilson

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We say: Copenhagen 2-1 Carat

Copenhagen’s domestic scoring record makes them a constant threat, but Kairat’s defensive system and Anarbekov’s heroics in goal suggest they will not be easy to break.

Hopefully Copenhagen will finally get the breakthrough, while Carat can pose a threat on the counter while keeping the scoreline close.

Please click here for data analysis of the most probable outcomes of this match, scoreline and more.

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