The match between Italy's Atalanta and Kazakhstan's Kairat in the third round of the Conference League ended in a 1:1 draw. Our team, failing to hold onto a winning score, nevertheless earned its second point in the tournament. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Kairat's acting head coach Zhora Harutyunyan predictably continued the line of the departed Rafael Urazbakhtin. Kairat's starting lineup differed in only two positions from the one that took the field for the home match against Panathinaikos (1:5). Yerkin Tapalov and Olzhas Baibek were replaced by Damir Kasabulat and Alexander Shirobokov.

Atalanta's coach Maurizio Sarri left the team's leaders on the bench: Montenegrin Nikola Krstović, Belgian Charles De Ketelaere, Brazilian Éderson and Pole Nikola Zalewski.

Kairat started the game with two corners, signaling that they had no intention of sitting back in defense. The hosts responded with two shots from Jonathan Rowe. One of the Englishman's strikes forced Temirlan Anarbekov to enter the game for the first time.

In the 12th minute, Kasabulat made Kairat's fans nervous. Under pressure from the Italians, the Almaty player nearly sent the ball into his own net.

Kazakhstan tried to respond attack for attack. Up front, Azamat Tuyakbayev and Mark Gual stood out for our team. Rowe was dangerous at the tip of the Bergamaschi attack, troubling Anarbekov again in the 27th minute. And the most dangerous moment in the 31st minute was missed by Croatian Mario Pašalić, who shot wide of the goal from almost the goal line.

⚽ ATALANTA (Bergamo, Italy) – KAIRAT (Almaty, Kazakhstan) 1:1 (0:0). Goals: Gual 53 (0:1), Krstović 82 (1:1)

From the first minutes of the second half, Atalanta, with Éderson coming off the bench, firmly established themselves in the visitors' half. Carried away by attack, the Italians missed a sharp counterattack from the Almaty side. In the 53rd minute, Edmilson sent Gual one-on-one with Carnesecchi, and Mark made the most of the moment and the ball – 1:0.

Sensing danger, Sarri, following Éderson, threw his main striking forces into battle – De Ketelaere, Zalewski and Krstović. The Italians besieged our penalty area in a furious desire to equalize. Anarbekov saved his team several times. But in the 82nd minute, even he could not help. With a close-range shot, the Bergamaschi's top scorer Krstović equalized – 1:1.

The score did not change until the end of the game. Kairat earned its second point in the Conference League. In the next match on November 26, the Kazakhstanis will host Sweden's Mjällby.

KAIRAT'S MATCHES IN THE MAIN ROUND OF THE 2026 CONFERENCE LEAGUE

⚽ October 15. RIGA (Latvia) – KAIRAT 1:1

⚽ October 22. KAIRAT – PANATHINAIKOS (Athens, Greece) 1:5

⚽ November 5. ATALANTA (Bergamo, Italy) – KAIRAT 1:1

⚽ November 26. KAIRAT – MJÄLLBY (Hällevik, Sweden)

⚽ December 10. KAIRAT – UNIVERSITATEA (Craiova, Romania)

⚽ December 17. TWENTE (Enschede, Netherlands) – KAIRAT

According to the regulations of the 2026/27 Conference League, each of the 36 teams will play 6 matches (not 8, as in the Champions League) against different opponents in the main round.

The eight best clubs in the overall table will advance directly to the round of 16. Teams placed 9th to 24th will take part in play-off matches in February 2027 for the right to play in the round of 16 in March.

The quarter-finals will be held on April 8 and 15, the semi-finals on April 29 and May 6. The final of the 2026/27 Conference League will take place on June 2 at the Beşiktaş stadium in Istanbul.