Almaty, Kazakhstan: A coolly converted penalty from Kylian Mbappé in the 25th minute is the difference as Real Madrid take a 1-0 lead into the half-time break against a spirited Kairat Almaty in their UEFA Champions League group stage clash.
Real Madrid dominated possession and created several chances, but the decisive moment came midway through the half. Young Argentine talent Franco Mastantuono drove into the box and was brought down by Kairat goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. Mbappé stepped up and calmly sent his right-footed shot into the bottom left corner to give the Spanish giants the lead.
Despite Madrid’s control, the home side has shown plenty of fight. Kairat started brightly, forcing a save from Thibaut Courtois within the first minute from a Dastan Satpaev header. They have continued to probe the Madrid defence, with Valeri Gromyko testing the visitors from distance.
Mbappé has been at the heart of Madrid’s attack, seeing an earlier shot saved by Kalmurza and setting up a clear chance for Vinícius Júnior on a fast break, which the Brazilian missed. Arda Güler also forced a good save from the Kairat keeper with a shot from outside the box.
As the teams head for the tunnel, Real Madrid holds a slender but deserved advantage, though Kairat’s resilience suggests the second half is still finely poised.
