Kairat draws Real Madrid and Arsenal in historic Champions League debut
The group stage draw of the UEFA Champions League has taken place in Monaco, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
A total of 36 clubs will take part in the tournament, including Almaty’s Kairat. The teams were divided into four pots, with Kairat placed in the fourth pot due to its limited experience in European competitions and insufficient ranking points.
At this stage, each team will play eight matches: four at home and four away. For every club, eight opponents were selected — two from each pot.
Following the draw, the Kazakh club will play four home matches in Almaty, where Kairat will host Real Madrid, Belgium’s Club Brugge, Greece’s Olympiacos, and Cyprus’ Pafos.
Away from home, the Almaty side will face Italy’s Inter Milan, England’s Arsenal, Portugal’s Sporting, and Denmark’s Copenhagen.
Champions League group stage schedule:
Matchday 1: September 16–18, 2025
Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1, 2025
Matchday 3: October 21–22, 2025
Matchday 4: November 4–5, 2025
Matchday 5: November 25–26, 2025
Matchday 6: December 9–10, 2025
Matchday 7: January 20–21, 2026
Matchday 8: January 28, 2026
Earlier, it was reported that Almaty’s Kairat advanced to the main stage of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Scotland’s Celtic in a dramatic playoff round.
