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 a spot in the Champions League. Olimpija last participated in this tournament in the 2023/24 season, advancing through two qualifying rounds before losing to Galatasaray in the third round (0-3, 0-1). Last season, the club played in the Conference League, advancing from the group stage but falling to Borac in the playoff knockout rounds.
In June, Jorge Simão became the team's new coach. The most expensive newcomer to the club during 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 competition games (1 draw, 1 loss).
- At least one opponent has failed to score in 11 of the team's last 12 home international matches.
Predicted lineup for Olimpija Ljubljana (4-4-2)
Gal Lubej Fink – Matej Dvoršak, Veljko Jelenković, Jan Gorenc, Jošt Urbančič – Diogo Costa Pinto, Jurgen Čelhaka, Agustin Doffo, Mateo Ačimovič – Ivan Durdov, Marko Brest.
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 the tournament, with their previous participation in the 2021/22 season ending in a defeat against Crvena Zvezda over two legs (2-1, 0-5). Notably, the team has been absent from European competitions for three years. Currently, in the Kazakhstan Premier League, Rafael Urazbakhtin's side is in second place.
- Kairat has lost 6 of their last 7 European competition matches (1 draw).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Kairat's last 7 away international matches.
- The club has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 10 of their last 13 away European matches.
Predicted lineup for Kairat (4-4-2)
Temirlan Anarbekov – Daniyar Tashpulatov, Yegor Sorokin, Erkin Tapalov, Alexander Shirobokov – Adilet Sadybekov, Yug Stanoev, Ramazan Bagdat, Olzhas Baybek – Jorginho Costa, Ricardinho.
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%.
Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Kairat: Match Prediction
Kairat holds a significant advantage over their opponent. The Kazakhstan Premier League is in full swing, while the Slovenian championship has yet to start. Rafael Urazbakhtin's side will have a higher match fitness level than Olimpija. This factor may not be enough to secure a positive result, but they should pose problems for the hosts' defense. Moreover, Kairat has been performing well offensively. In the current championship, the team is among the top two in terms of scoring, and they have found the net nine times in their last six away European matches.
Olimpija has failed to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive Champions League games. The team's performances in July are quite telling, as the Slovenians were not yet in optimal form. In 2023, they conceded in all three Champions League matches in this month. The previous year, they conceded in both matches against a team from Luxembourg. I believe Jorge Simão's side will not be able to contain the attack of their upcoming opponent.
My prediction: Kairat Individual Total Over 0.5
