The second leg of the third qualifying round of the 2025/26 Champions League between Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) and Kairat (Kazakhstan) will take place on August 12 at the Tehelné pole Stadium. The first match ended 1-0 in favor of Kairat. Slovan Bratislava vs. Kairat: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Slovan Bratislava
The first encounter could have ended in a goalless draw. However, towards the end of the match, the Slovaks made a defensive error that led to a penalty against them. As a result, the team lost 0-1 and now needs to win at home by at least two goals to advance to the playoff stage of the Champions League. If the hosts win the return leg by exactly one goal, extra time will be played. It's worth noting that last season, Bratislava managed to reach the main round of this European competition.
- The Slovaks have lost in regular time in 9 of their last 11 Champions League matches.
- At least 4 goals have been scored over 90 minutes in 7 of Slovan's last 8 games in this tournament.
- The team conceded first in 6 of their last 7 matches in this European competition.
Predicted lineup for Slovan Bratislava (4-2-3-1)
Dominik Takac – Guram Kashia, Kenan Bajric, Cesar Blackman, Sandro Cruz – Peter Pokorny, Rash Rakhim Ibrahim – Vladimir Weiss, Marko Tolic, Tigran Barseghyan – David Strelec.
Midfielder Rash Rakhim Ibrahim is suspended. Head coach Vladimir Weiss will also serve a suspension.
Kairat
The Almaty team once again proved they can defeat many opponents in European tournaments. The team secured a victory in the first match in the final minutes, and now, to progress to the next round of qualification, the Kazakhs only need to avoid defeat in Slovakia. It's also worth noting that Kairat has yet to win away in the Champions League – with 2 draws and 3 losses.
- At least one team failed to score in regular time in 5 of Kairat's last 6 matches in this European competition.
- No more than 3 goals have been scored over 90 minutes in 8 of Almaty's last 9 Champions League games.
- The Kazakhs have not lost in regular time in 7 of their last 9 matches in this tournament (5 wins and 2 draws).
Predicted lineup for Kairat (4-3-2-1)
Alexander Zarutskiy – Alexander Martynovich, Damir Kasabulat, Yegor Sorokin, Luis Mata – Erkin Tapalov, Valery Gromyko, Ofri Arad – Edmilson Filho, Jorginho Costa – Dastan Satpayev.
Referee
Benoit Bastien (France)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 48;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 36%.
Match Prediction: Slovan Bratislava vs. Kairat
Over the past four seasons, the Slovaks have participated in the group stages of all three European competitions. The team has gained significant experience playing against strong European clubs, so I believe the hosts can turn the tide of this matchup. Typically, the Kazakhs are eliminated from European competitions in the early stages of qualification, having only reached the main round once, and that was in the Conference League.
If we disregard Slovan's matches in the main stages of the Champions League against the continent's strongest teams, the club has decent records in this European competition at home. In their last five home qualification matches in this tournament, Bratislava has secured 5 wins, scoring a total of 18 goals during this period. Since the Kazakhs have never won away in the Champions League, I think the Slovaks can not only win but also do so with the necessary margin to advance directly to the next round of the European competition.
My prediction – Slovan Bratislava to win
