Kairat – Panathinaikos: Preview
We provide predictions for the fixture between Kairat and Panathinaikos in the second round of the General Group of the Conference League 2026/27 season.
"Kairat" started the group stage with a away draw against "Riga". "Panathinaikos" won their first match against "Boreas".
Key Moments
Kairat
1. "Kairat" almost missed championship chances in Kazakhstan
This year, "Kairat" is unlikely to be champions; only two rounds remain and the team is four points behind "Ordabasy". In the last two domestic league rounds, the yellow‑black squad won without conceding, and the decisive period for the top spots was mid‑September, when the team lost consecutively at home to "Tobol" (1:4) and away to "Astana" (0:1). In European clubs, the team also fails to impress: after last year’s Champions League, the move to the Conference League seems a major step back. However, the Almaty side started the group phase well, securing a 1:1 draw away at "Riga".
2. Jorginho is still recovering, the squad will repeat the last league match
The yellow‑black team still cannot rely on Jorginho, who is recovering from an ACL rupture. Yet the failures of "Kairat" this year are not linked to the Portuguese’s absence: his replacement, Mark Gau, scored eleven league goals, including a hat‑trick in the final round against "Irtysh". In this match, the Almaty side, still hoping to defend the title, fielded their starting XI, and Rafael Urashkin will likely repeat his participation in European competition.
3. "Kairat" has learned not to take advantage of home ground in European clubs
Traveling to Almaty is a serious test for European participants. However, increasingly "Kairat" suffers defeats at home. While in last year’s Champions League group stage opponents could be blamed for their high level, this year the squad without prospects lost to "Anderlecht" (0:3) in the Europa League and was previously eliminated from the Champions League by "Levski" (0:1). "Kairat"’s attack does not work internationally, and "Panathinaikos" in its current form seems to surpass the Bulgarians and is not inferior to the Belgians.
Panathinaikos
1. "Panathinaikos" starts the season with power
The last few years have been turbulent for the Athenians: the club entered lower European leagues and could not dominate historic rivals AEK and "Olympiacos". However, this year hope emerges. The young Danish coach Jakob Neesrup led "Panathinaikos" in the summer, and so far has been very successful. In the league, only one point was lost (a 0:1 defeat to "Olympiacos") that led to the top spot; the team has the strongest squad in many years, surpassed three rivals in the qualification phase, and began the group stage with a 2:1 win over "Boreas".
2. Ounahi injured, rotations affect one or two positions
"Panathinaikos" has a strong squad, with Greek internationals, recent participants in the Champions League knockout stages and the World Cup. Among key players, Moroccan leader Azzedin Ounahi cannot help the Athenians; in the last league round, he was dismissed before January. Without him, the team may shift to a formation with two forwards, one of whom will be Andrew Tette. Instead of Livia Garcia, Vicente Taborda may appear, and Imran Luso’s replacement will be Etienne Camara. Overall, the squad is stable.
3. "Panathinaikos" won all three away matches in the European season 2:1
The qualification rounds of the Conference League against Hungarian "Paks", Bulgarian "CSKA 1948" and Czech "Gradex‑Kralove" unfolded similarly. In all three cases, the Greeks drew 2:2 at home and won 2:1 away. So far, "Panathinaikos" does not impress as a traditional Greek team, strong mainly at home. "Kairat" seems more adept than the previous Athens visitors, but compared to the start of the season, the visitors have improved defensively.
Approximate line‑ups
4-2-3-1
4-2-1-4-2-1
4-2-1-4-2-1
Prediction
In eight of the last ten matches of "Kairat" and four of the six of "Panathinaikos", only one team scored. Only one will score – with 2.13.
In four of the last seven matches of "Kairat" and five of the eight of "Panathinaikos", at least three goals were scored. TB 2.5 – with 1.82.
Prediction: 0-2
