December 09, (THEWILL) — Olympiacos claimed their opening victory of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League season with a narrow 1-0 triumph against Kairat Almaty at Astana Arena on Tuesday evening. Gelson Martins struck the decisive goal in the 73rd minute to move Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side within two points of the play-off positions.
The Greek side controlled proceedings from kick-off, with Ayoub El Kaabi heading against goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov in the 19th minute. Three minutes later, El Kaabi converted Chiquinho’s delivery from close range, only for the officials to flag the effort offside. The striker then forced Anarbekov into another save before half-time, firing left-footed towards goal.
Clear opportunities proved scarce after the interval until Martins broke the deadlock with 17 minutes remaining. Mehdi Taremi threaded the ball through to the forward, who calmly slotted a right-footed finish inside the near post despite Anarbekov getting a hand to the attempt.
El Kaabi squandered a golden opportunity to double the advantage in stoppage time. The forward rounded the Kairat goalkeeper and faced an open net, but his effort cannoned off the left-hand upright.
The result leaves both teams battling for qualification, with Olympiacos now targeting further points to climb into the knockout phase. Kairat Almaty remain in contention but face an uphill challenge following this setback at their temporary home venue.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
