UEFA Champions League· Season 2026
Substitute Ismail Bekbolat provided two assists in 18 minutes as Kairat Almaty beat Sutjeska 2-1 in the Champions League first qualifying round first leg, with Marc Gual scoring the 90+2 winner.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
A goalless first half saw both sides cancel each other out. Kairat thought they had broken the deadlock in the 33rd minute when Jorginho found the net, but a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside. The contest grew increasingly physical, with referee Dmitriy Panchyshyn issuing three yellow cards before the interval — J. Čađenović (35'), A. Golubović (41') and D. Kasabulat (43').
Kairat made three substitutions at half-time, introducing A. Tuyakbayev, Edmilson and A. Shirobokov. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 76th minute. Bekbolat, who had entered the match just two minutes earlier for O. Jukkola, swung in a delivery that defender Lucas Áfrico met with a right-footed finish to make it 1-0.
Sutjeska hit back in the 90th minute. D. Hocko set up M. Mrvaljević, who levelled with a right-footed shot — seemingly securing a valuable away draw for the Montenegrin side.
But Kairat had the final word. With the clock showing 90+2, Bekbolat delivered again, finding Marc Gual whose right-footed strike restored the home lead and sent the crowd into raptures.
The Turning Point
Ismail Bekbolat's introduction in the 74th minute swung the tie. The Kazakh winger had not provided a single assist in any match since the start of the season before this game, but his instant impact — two assists in 18 minutes — turned a 0-0 stalemate into a 2-1 lead. Sutjeska had no answer to his delivery from wide areas.
Key Performers
Marc Gual (Kairat Almaty) — Player of the Match. The Spanish forward had been quiet for 92 minutes but produced the decisive moment, a clinical right-footed finish in stoppage time. It was his first goal in UEFA competition since joining Kairat.
Ismail Bekbolat (Kairat Almaty). The super-sub provided two assists in 18 minutes, both from open-play crosses. His delivery for Áfrico's opener was precise, but the floated ball for Gual's winner showed composure beyond his limited minutes on the pitch.
Lucas Áfrico (Kairat Almaty). The Brazilian centre-back scored the opener with a well-timed finish and anchored a defence that limited Sutjeska to just one shot on target — which they scored.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
Kairat's 2-1 win masked a first half that yielded nothing from either side. The 33rd-minute VAR disallowed goal for offside was the closest either team came before the break. After the interval, Kairat dominated territory but took until the 76th minute to convert. Sutjeska's solitary shot on target was Mrvaljević's equaliser, highlighting their low-volume approach: they created almost nothing from open play outside their goal. The six minutes of stoppage time proved decisive, with Bekbolat's second assist arriving in the 92nd minute.
What It Means
Kairat Almaty take a 2-1 lead into the second leg at Stadion Gradski in Nikšić on 15 July. The away goal gives Sutjeska a lifeline — a 1-0 win would send them through on aggregate. For Kairat, this was their first win in a Champions League qualifying match since 2021, and the victory keeps alive their hopes of reaching the second qualifying round for the first time in three seasons.
Verdict
A game that threatened to fizzle into a 0-0 draw was transformed by a substitute's vision and a striker's composure. Kairat's depth off the bench proved decisive, but the tie remains very much alive heading to Montenegro. Sutjeska will believe they can overturn a one-goal deficit with their home support behind them.
Match Events
Key match events between Kairat Almaty and Sutjeska — 3 goals and 4 cards recorded during the match.
assist: I. Bekbolat
assist: D. Hocko
assist: I. Bekbolat
Rivalry since 2026
Kairat Almaty vs Sutjeska Head to Head Results· 1
Kairat Almaty and Sutjeska have met 1 times — Kairat Almaty won 1, Sutjeska won 0, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2026. Kairat Almaty leads the head-to-head with 1 victory from 1 meeting. A combined 2 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.00 per match (2 for the home side, 0 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 0 matches (0%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 0 games (0%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 0–2 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 9 Jul 2026