Real Madrid begins the toughest challenge of the season
Real Madrid made the 14-hour trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan, for their second Champions League game, suffering heavy losses as Carvajal, Militao, Mendy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Rudiger were all unavailable because of injuries.
Real Madrid will have no time to rest after suffering a heavy defeat in the Madrid derby. On September 28th, the team continued training at Valdebebas before boarding their flight to Almaty. At 11:45 PM on September 30th, Xabi Alonso’s squad will face Kairat on Kazakh soil, about 6,000 km from Madrid, requiring 14 hours of travel with multiple layovers, visa procedures, and a significant cultural shock. Almaty will undoubtedly be decorated to welcome the famous European visitors.
The white-clad team crossed half the globe to reach their destination with almost no preparation time. The long journey leaves the painful memory of the derby loss still haunting them. Now, Xabi’s task is both psychological and tactical, as he must revive his players’ fighting spirit to avoid another setback that could plunge Real’s new project into crisis.
The difficulty increased as Real lost Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal to injuries in the derby, adding to the already long list of absentees including Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. With five key defenders missing, Xabi must consider temporary solutions, possibly even deploying Federico Valverde as a fullback, although it’s not his natural position. Carvajal remains in Madrid for right Achilles tendon treatment, while Militão’s condition awaits an official medical update.
This journey takes Real to the far eastern edge of the UEFA map, where the Tien Shan mountains separate Europe and Asia. There are no direct flights from Madrid to Almaty, forcing the team to connect flights. Despite the remote location, the weather is relatively mild, with temperatures ranging from 12 to 24 degrees Celsius. What Real faces is not the cold but the intense atmosphere from the stands, where Kairat fans passionately display their national pride.
Kairat Almaty was founded in 1954 under the name Dynamo and was the only Kazakh team to compete in the Russian championship. Their home, Central Stadium, holds 23,000 spectators, with basic facilities but an incredibly fervent atmosphere. Yellow and black flags wave alongside loud cheers that echo across the dry sky, creating significant pressure. This will be a tough test for Real Madrid, a team urgently needing a morale boost to recover quickly and avoid falling into an unpredictable crisis spiral.
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