Defensive Crisis and Fatigue Challenge Real Madrid Ahead of Kairat Almaty Clash
Real Madrid travels to face Kairat Almaty on the second matchday of the Champions League, a daunting fixture no one on the team wanted. The nearly 7,000-kilometer journey to Kazakhstan comes during a demanding week of LaLiga matches against Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal, with the club under pressure to rebound from a heavy defeat in the recent derby.
A strong reaction is essential against Kairat, newcomers to the Champions League and a largely unknown quantity. For manager Xabi Alonso, a decisive victory is needed to regain momentum and restore confidence ahead of a formidable run of fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus, Benfica, and the upcoming Clásico against Barcelona.
The challenge is compounded by a severe injury crisis in defense. Despite reinforcements in the last transfer window, Alonso is grappling with the same backline fragility that plagued his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti. The team is without its two primary right-backs, Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as central defenders Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão. Left-back Ferland Mendy is also sidelined, leaving the manager with severely limited options.
Following an arduous flight of over eight hours, Alonso will have to carefully manage his players’ fatigue. Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga will not feature in the starting lineup, with Bellingham having appeared to lack match fitness in the derby. Fran García starts at left-back to give Carreras a rest, while the attack will be spearheaded by the formidable duo of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
