The first qualifying round match of the 2025/26 Champions League between Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Kairat (Kazakhstan) will take place on July 8 at the Stožice Stadium. Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Kairat: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Olimpija Ljubljana
The team won the last Slovenian championship, earning them a spot in the Champions League. Olimpija last participated in this tournament in the 2023/24 season, advancing through two qualifying rounds before falling to Galatasaray in the third round (0-3, 0-1). Last season, the club competed in the Conference League, exiting at the first stage.
In June, Jorge Simao was appointed as the new head coach. The club's most expensive signing in the off-season was forward Dimitar Mitrovski.
- The Slovenians have conceded in six consecutive Champions League matches.
- At home, Olimpija has won 5 of their last 7 European matches (1 draw, 1 loss).
- At least one opponent failed to score in 11 of the team's last 12 home international matches.
Predicted lineup for Olimpija Ljubljana (5-4-1)
Matevž Dajčar – Ahmet Muhamedbegović, Diga, Veljko Elenković, Jan Gorenc – Diogo Costa Pinto, Peter Agba, Agustin Doffo, Dino Koić – Dimitar Mitrovski, Alex Tamm.
Kairat
The club earned the right to play in the Champions League by winning the last Kazakhstan championship. This will be Kairat's third appearance in this tournament, with their previous participation in the 2021/22 season ending in a defeat to Crvena Zvezda over two legs (2-1, 0-5). The team has not been in European competitions for three years. Currently, in the KPL, Rafael Urazbakhtin's side is in second place.
- Kairat has lost 6 of their last 7 European matches (1 draw).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Kairat's last 7 away international matches.
- The team has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 10 of their last 13 away European matches.
Predicted lineup for Kairat (4-4-2)
Alexander Zarutskiy – Damir Kasabulat, Alexander Martynovich, Yegor Sorokin, Ofri Arad – Luis Mata, Valery Gromyko, Yug Stanoev, Dan Glazer – Jorginho Costa, Dastan Satpayev.
Referee
Christos Vergetis (Greece)
Matches – 5 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 11;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.2;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Kairat
Kairat has a significant advantage over their opponents. The KPL is in full swing, whereas the Slovenian championship has yet to start. Rafael Urazbakhtin's team is likely to have a higher match fitness level than Olimpija. While this may not be enough to secure a positive result, the Kazakhs are expected to challenge the home side's defense. Moreover, Kairat is performing well in attack. In the current championship, the team is among the top two in scoring, and in their last six away European matches, they have scored nine goals.
Olimpija has failed to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive Champions League matches. The team's performances in July have been particularly telling, as the Slovenians were not in peak form. In 2023, they conceded in all three Champions League matches in July. The previous year, they conceded in both matches against a team from Luxembourg. I believe Jorge Simao's side will struggle to contain their upcoming opponent's attack.
My prediction: Kairat Individual Total Over 0.5
