Real Madrid thrash Kairat and return to winning ways in the Champions League
- Trip to Kazakhstan for the Champions League
- Real Madrid's preparations for the match
- Line-ups and the team's physical condition
- The match against Kairat Almaty
- Second half and final results
- Looking ahead to the rest of the season
Trip to Kazakhstan for the Champions League
Real Madrid travelled to the far reaches of Europe to lick their wounds after their heavy defeat in La Liga against Atlético de Madrid. Only 10% of Kazakhstan belongs to Europe, the rest is in Asia. Almaty is not the capital, that is Astana, but its nearly three million citizens left everything at 9:45 p.m. to watch their team take on Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Real Madrid's preparation for the match
Xabi Alonso's team spent nine hours on a plane looking for a solution to the problems of the derby. The coach himself said that they had never had such a long and in-depth conversation since he started coaching in Madrid. They knew that the match against Kairat Almaty was a trap. A draw or a defeat would be an unnecessary storm at this stage of the season because the opponent is one of the weakest in the new UEFA Champions League, where almost all teams are eligible.
Line-ups and team fitness
Alonso remained faithful to his idea of varying the line-ups. This time it was the turn of Ceballos, Alaba, Fran García and Asencio. It is true that there were injuries to Trent, Carvajal, Militao and Rüdiger, but the coach has always wanted his players to be active and feel needed.
The surprise was seeing Valverde out of the line-up and without any playing time. It is unusual for the Uruguayan not to play in a match, but his form is not as expected. He has played many matches at a high level and now he needs to recover. Perhaps his refusal to play at right-back does not help either.
The match against Kairat Almaty
The fact is that Kairat decided to sit back and play as orderly as a team of that level can. For the first 20 minutes, Real Madrid moved the ball around and were patient. They worked hard until Mastantuono won a penalty, which Mbappé converted. That's how Real Madrid reached half-time in a stadium that was having a great time watching the King of Europe.
Second half and final results
In the second half, everything was easier, although the second goal did not come until the 52nd minute. Mbappé scored again and made it three in the 73rd minute from a pass by Güler, who has become indispensable in midfield. He's no Modric, but he's the closest thing Madrid have.
Camavinga and Brahim completed the scoring against a Kairat side that was fading by the minute. Gromyko and Arad worked hard and picked up yellow cards, but the very young Kalmyrza couldn't do much more in goal.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season
The Whites got the job done, picked up another three points and now have their sights set on Everest, with Villarreal, Juventus, Liverpool and Barça awaiting them at the end of the month. Xabi Alonso's pre-season is over and the team now has to prove that the new signings are working and that the coach is capable of leading this team to dominate in Spain and Europe.