A Tie Already Slipping Away
Sutjeska needed something special at home and never really got close to it. Kairat Almaty scored twice in the second half at Stadion Kraj Bistrice on Wednesday to seal a 4-1 aggregate win in their Champions League first qualifying round tie, and by the end there wasn’t much doubt about which side deserved it.
The damage from the first leg in Almaty was always going to make this one tough. Kairat won that game 2-1 — Lucas Áfrico and Marc Gual scoring either side of a late Marko Mrvaljević reply for Sutjeska — and coming back from a goal down away from home in the second leg was never going to be simple for a Montenegrin side that had lost three straight friendlies heading into pre-season.
A Cagey First Half, Then Kairat Take Over
For a long stretch, Sutjeska actually looked like they had a chance. The first half in Nikšić finished goalless, with both sides picking up early bookings — Marko Šimun and Aleksa Golubović both went into the book inside the first half hour — but neither team could really break the deadlock before the break.
Kairat found their opening midway through the second half. Ismail Bekbolat, who’d set up both goals in the first leg, got on the scoresheet himself this time, finding the net in the 68th minute to put the visitors 1-0 up on the night and 3-1 up on aggregate. That goal more or less settled the tie, and things got even harder for Sutjeska soon after — Andrija Raznatović, already booked earlier in the game, picked up a second yellow in the 79th minute and was sent off, leaving the home side to play out the closing stages with ten men.
Kairat made the extra man count almost immediately. Jorginho stepped up and converted a penalty in the 83rd minute to make it 2-0 on the night, and from there Sutjeska had nothing left to threaten a comeback with. The match petered out with a handful of late cards on both sides, and Kairat saw out the win comfortably.
What It Means Next
Kairat Almaty move into the second qualifying round with a 4-1 aggregate win, and they’ll now face Cypriot side Omonoia for a spot deeper in the competition. It’s a disappointing end to the European run for Sutjeska, who never really recovered from that away defeat in the first leg and now turn their focus back to Montenegro’s domestic season, where they’ll be hoping for a far better start than the one that led them into this tie.
Match Summary
Sutjeska 0-2 Kairat Almaty (Kairat win 4-1 on aggregate) UEFA Champions League, First Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg — Stadion Kraj Bistrice, Nikšić, Montenegro Wednesday, 15 July 2026 Referee: Wojciech Myc
Goals: 68′ Ismail Bekbolat (Kairat Almaty) 0-1 83′ Jorginho (Kairat Almaty) 0-2 (penalty)
Red card: Andrija Raznatović (Sutjeska), 79′ — second yellow
Result: Kairat Almaty advance 4-1 on aggregate to the second qualifying round, where they’ll face Omonoia.
For live Champions League qualifying scores and coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and bracket at the official UEFA Champions League website.
