Neestrup: Kairat Almaty a really good team

F.C. Copenhagen face Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League at Parken Stadium on Wednesday, and head coach Jacob Neestrup says he respects the Lions' Kazakh opponents.

Kairat Almaty reached the League Phase of the Champions League, having worked their way through from the first qualifying round this summer.

They finished the 2025 season as champions in Kazakhstan and, while they – like FCK – only have one point in the League Phase, Neestrup is wary of what they'll bring to Parken on Wednesday.

"They're a really good team, physically strong and they play with great aggression," says Neestrup. "They have some really talented players up front, not least Satpaev, who is a top young player that I'm really looking forward to seeing.

"As I have said before, I have great, great respect for the teams that qualify for the Champions League via the long road (of qualification), and who also ended up knocking Celtic out in the play-offs. So they are a good team, but we are going for our first win in the League Phase."

A win on Wednesday night could – for both teams – reignite hope of getting over the line of the 24 teams that advance to the knockout rounds.

"It has of course developed worse than hoped," Neestrup said when responding to a question about our matches so far in the League Phase.

"We would have liked to have had a few more points, but we have had a difficult two months since mid-September and we can't change that now.

"But we take it one game at a time, and we would of course like to win that game tomorrow no matter what. So we'll see, but we will of course take our chance."

F.C. Copenhagen vs Kairat Almaty tickets
There are still some tickets remaining for Wednesday's game, which kicks off at 6:45pm. The club decided to expand the Family Stand ahead of this clash, with the early kick-off time better for young FCK supporters.

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