In football, Almaty’s “Kairat” club defeated Slovakia’s “Slovan” team in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, earning a place in the tournament’s play-off stage, reports Adyrna National Portal.
In the first match in Almaty, “Kairat” claimed a 1–0 victory.
In the 30th minute of the return leg, Robert Mak scored past goalkeeper Aleksandr Zarutsky, opening the score. Regular time ended 1–0, just like in Kazakhstan. Extra time produced no goals, and in the penalty shootout, the Almaty side won 4–3.
Thus, for the first time in its history, “Kairat” reached the Champions League play-off stage. In the next round, they will face “Celtic.” The winner will advance to the group stage, while the loser will compete in the Europa League group stage.
The first play-off match will take place on August 20 in Glasgow, with the return leg on August 26 in Almaty.
It is also worth noting that on August 14, “Astana” will host Switzerland’s “Lausanne” in the second leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. In the first match, the capital’s team lost 1–3.
