Lisbon witnessed a statement on Thursday night as Sporting CP thrashed Kairat Almaty 4-1 in their opening fixture of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League group stage.
The Portuguese giants produced a ruthless display at Estádio José Alvalade, converting dominance and momentum into a comfortable win, while their Kazakh visitors were left to rue missed chances and defensive frailties.
Sporting had one major chance elude them early on when they were awarded a penalty in the 21st minute after Aleksandr Mrynskiy brought down Luis Suárez in the Kairat box.
Morten Hjulmand stepped up confidently to take the spot kick, but 18-year-old Sherhan Kalmurza, the Kairat goalkeeper, produced an impressive save with his legs to deny the midfielder. That stop, for a moment, offered hope to the visitors.
From that point on, Sporting increasingly imposed themselves, controlling possession, pressing with intensity and probing for an opening. The breakthrough came just before halftime as Francisco Trincão curled a beautiful left-footed strike into the top corner in the 44th minute.
The strike was richly deserved, as the home side had been edging their way into the match, dominating midfield and patiently carving out space.
⏹️ Que noite! Os Leões arrancam a @ChampionsLeague 25/26 com uma vitória
⚽️ Trincão (2), Alisson e Quenda.
4-1 // #SCPFCK #UCL pic.twitter.com/myUMkV0dLK— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) September 18, 2025
Kairat came out in the second half looking to shift the momentum, but Sporting’s second-half burst extinguished any worries. In the 65th minute, a swift counter-attack saw Ivan Fresneda break forward, feed Trincão inside the box, and the latter doubled the lead with excellent composure.
Two minutes later Alisson Santos added a third from the edge of the area, bending a low driven shot past Kalmurza, and just one minute after that Geovany Quenda showed neat footwork before placing a fine shot in the bottom corner.
Suddenly, from 1-0 at halftime, Sporting had turned on the afterburners to make it 4-0 in the space of four minutes.
Kairat finally managed to strike a consolation in the 86th minute. Edmilson seized on slack defending, was left unmarked, and unleashed a volley that caught the Sporting defense off-guard, giving them a rare moment of joy in what had been largely a night of struggle. But by then, the game was long decided.
The statistics underline Sporting’s superiority. They held approximately 64 percent of possession, attempted many more shots, and created significantly more chances overall. Sporting’s defence was mostly untroubled until the final minutes, while Kairat’s efforts to mount any sustained pressure were sporadic and, too often, disorganized.
From a tactical standpoint, Sporting’s front line operated with fluidity. Trincão was at the heart of their attacking thrusts, scoring a brace and causing problems throughout. The arrival of substitutions including Alisson Santos added fresh impetus; Santos’ goal was richly deserved and reflected the depth Sporting could call upon.
Kairat, on the other hand, seemed to lack those same options, with their work rate falling off as Sporting pressed forward.
For Kairat, the trip to Lisbon will be remembered more for the travel and less for the performance. Having already made history just to reach the Champions League group stage—eliminating Celtic in dramatic fashion—they were perhaps always destined to be underdogs here.
Still, the missed penalty early on might have altered the complexion of proceedings had it gone in. And while the late goal gives them a small glimmer, their defensive lapses, especially during Sporting’s second half flare, were too frequent and too soon.
Sporting, meanwhile, will take great confidence from this performance. Not only did they start their group stage campaign with a win, they did so in style, with efficient finishing and attacking variety.