Inter Milan ready to face Kairat Almaty as Champions League returns

After a two-week pause, the Nerazzurri return to San Siro aiming for a fourth straight win in Europe and to extend their perfect defensive record

After a two-week break, the Champions League lights up again. Inter Milan are set for their fourth game of the league phase as they host Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty at San Siro tonight, kick-off at 21:00 CET.

Cristian Chivu’s men head into the clash with a perfect record: three wins out of three, nine points, and top spot in the overall standings — level with European giants Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

History and heritage: the Kairat Almaty story 

Kairat Almaty are one of the most unique clubs in this year’s competition. The Kazakh champions come from the most distant city ever to appear in the Champions League — around ten hours by air from any other participant.

Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, lies near the borders with Kyrgyzstan and China, around 6,729 km from Milan. 

Nestled beneath the towering Tian Shan mountains, the city’s name means “the place of apples”, linked to an ancient legend where the mountain spirits gifted apples to humankind. The surrounding region is home to the Malus sieversii, the wild ancestor of all cultivated apples that spread worldwide along the Silk Road.

Founded in 1954 as Lokomotiv and renamed Kairat (“strength” or “courage”) two years later, the club became a national symbol of Kazakh football during the Soviet era. Since independence, they have lifted five league titles, ten domestic cups and three Super Cups.

Champions League journey and domestic success 

Kairat are only the second team from Kazakhstan to reach the Champions League, following Astana’s 2015/16 debut. 

After several years of qualifiers and a group-stage appearance in the 2021/22 Conference League, they reached this season’s league phase by overcoming Olimpija Ljubljana, Kuopion Palloseura, Slovan Bratislava and Celtic.

Their opening matches have been tough: a 4-1 defeat at Sporting Lisbon, a 0-5 loss to Real Madrid at home, and a historic first point from a goalless draw against Pafos.

Led by coach Rafael Urazbakhtin, Kairat have just completed their domestic campaign, winning the Kazakh league for the second consecutive year. Seventeen-year-old forward Dastan Satpaev stands out as their top scorer, with 14 goals in the league and three more in Champions League qualifiers. 

The team usually plays in a 4-2-3-1 setup and features players from eight different countries, including Russia, Serbia, Israel, Georgia, Portugal and Brazil.

Inter Milan: balance, cleans sheets and goals 

Inter Milan have made a perfect start to their European campaign with three wins and three clean sheets. 

They’ve now won nine of their last ten group-stage fixtures without conceding — and remain the only side to record ten clean sheets in the league phase since the start of last season.

Their attacking form has been just as impressive: at least two goals in every game so far. If they manage another multi-goal victory with a clean sheet, they’ll join an elite group — Bayern Munich (2012/13), Borussia Dortmund (2014/15) and Paris Saint-Germain (2017/18).

The 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise equalled Inter Milan’s biggest-ever Champions League margin, while their nine goals mark the club’s best start to a European season since 2010/11.

Lautaro Martinez: records and relentless form 

Lautaro Martínez’s goal in Brussels brought his Champions League tally for Inter Milan to 24 — making him the fourth-highest scoring Argentine in the tournament’s history, behind Lionel Messi (129), Sergio Agüero (41) and Hernán Crespo (25).

The Nerazzurri captain has scored 11 times in his last 10 appearances — no player has found the net more often across Europe’s major competitions in 2025 (level with Harry Kane).

With Inter Milan firing on all fronts, the San Siro crowd will be hoping to see another strong display on Wednesday night as the Champions League journey continues.

Source: inter.it