Kairat draws with Pafos in Champions League despite numerical advantage

Kairat Almaty drew 0-0 with Cypriot Pafos FC on Oct. 21 in the UEFA Champions League Matchday Three at Central Stadium in Almaty. The visitors had been playing short-handed since the fourth minute.

Champions League 2025/2026

Matchday 3. Oct. 21

Kairat (Almaty, Kazakhstan) vs. Pafos (Cyprus): 0-0

Sent off: João Correia (Pafos, 4’)

Kairat’s starting lineup underwent only minor changes compared to the matches against Lisbon’s Sporting and Real Madrid. Temirlan Anarbekov replaced Sherkhan Kalmurza in goal, while Dan Glazer came on for Damir Kassabulat. Glazer partnered Ofri Arad as a holding midfielder in central midfield.

Pafos’s main star, 38-year-old David Luiz, started the match from the opening minutes, just as he did against Greek Olympiacos and Bayern.

At 9:45 p.m., English referee Chris Kavanagh blew the whistle and the game began. However, four minutes later the match took an unexpected turn. Pafos’s João Correia almost kicked Kairat player Luís Mata’s head off and was immediately sent off.

Despite gaining an unexpected numerical advantage, Kairat couldn’t figure out how to make use of it throughout the entire first half. Pafos looked ready to drop deep, but there was no need to park the bus. The hosts didn’t rush forward in large numbers, sticking to their original game plan. Their short passing produced only half-chances around the visitors’ penalty area. Pafos, on the other hand, tried to make the most of counterattacks and came close to success.

Kairat’s goalkeeper Anarbekov saved his team from an inevitable goal. Pafos’s captain Vlad Dragomir, after going one-on-one, seemed certain to score. But Anarbekov, diving desperately at Dragomir’s feet, parried the shot with his face.

However, in the 72nd minute even Anarbekov was powerless. Dragomir struck the ball against the crossbar and it ricocheted off Kairat’s goalkeeper toward the goal. Was it 0-1? VAR ruled otherwise, spotting an offside position that was barely noticeable to the naked eye.

What about Kairat? Their most realistic goal attempt came from Arad in the 77th minute, when his shot hit the post, ran along the goal line, but did not cross it.

Despite having an overwhelming advantage in possession (62% vs. 38%), shots (22 vs. 9), and both the number (565 vs. 240) and accuracy (497 vs. 179) of passes, the hosts failed to win. And if it hadn’t been for Anarbekov, they could have lost. Still, Kairat earned their first point in the Champions League.