The first leg of the second qualifying round of the 2025/26 Champions League between KuPS (Finland) and Kairat (Kazakhstan) will take place on July 22 at the Kuopion Keskuskenttä Stadium. KuPS vs. Kairat: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
KuPS
Jarkko Wiss's side overcame Milsami (1:0, 0:0) in the previous round. The team has reached the second qualifying stage of the Champions League for the first time in its history, though they have participated in Europe's most prestigious tournament only once before. They earned their spot in this Champions League edition by winning the national championship. Last season, KuPS competed in the Conference League, where they managed to pass only one qualifying stage.
- The team has not won in 8 of their last 10 European matches (3 draws, 5 losses).
- At least one opponent failed to score in KuPS's last 6 international matches.
- No more than two goals were scored in 5 of the Finns' last 6 European matches.
Predicted lineup for KuPS (3-4-3)
Johannes Kreidl – Ibrahima Cissé, Clinton Antwi, Samuli Miettinen – Doni Arifi, Otto Ruoppi, Petteri Pennanen, Jaakko Oksanen – Agon Sadiku, Joslin Luyeye-Lutumba, Saku Savolainen.
Kairat
The Kazakh team defeated Olimpija Ljubljana in the previous stage. After a draw in Slovenia (1:1), Rafael Urazbakhtin's side won 2:0 at home. Thus, Kairat has only one loss in their last six Champions League matches (3 wins, 2 draws). Notably, the club last reached the second qualifying round of the Champions League in the 2021/22 season, where they were defeated by Crvena Zvezda.
- Kairat has scored in 5 of their last 6 Champions League matches.
- The team has not won in their last 5 away European matches (2 draws, 3 losses).
- In 5 of their last 7 away international matches, the team conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for Kairat (5-3-2)
Alexander Zarutsky – Alexander Martynovich, Damir Kasabulat, Egor Sorokin, Erkin Tapalov, Luis Mata – Alexander Mrynsky, Dan Glazer, Edmilson Filho – Dastan Satpayev, Jorginho Costa.
Referee
Alejandro Muniz Ruiz (Spain)
Matches – 23 (International and La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 90;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 6;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 26%.
KuPS vs. Kairat: Match Prediction
The Kazakh club made a strong return to the international stage. In the previous round, Rafael Urazbakhtin's side outperformed the favored Olimpija. Kairat held their ground in Slovenia and secured a home victory, breaking a 9-match winless streak in European competitions (3 draws, 6 losses). I believe this will boost the players' confidence.
The Finns cannot boast good results in European competitions. The victory over Milsami was only their second in the last 10 international matches (3 wins, 5 losses). Their other win in this period came against a team from Luxembourg.
The only Champions League defeat in Kairat's history was against Crvena Zvezda, whose class and European experience are significantly higher than KuPS. I think the Finns will not be able to beat the visitors. My prediction: Kairat to win or draw
* Each team's starting lineup is based on their last match in this tournament.
