Kairat vs Sutjeska Prediction 8 July 2026

Rafael Urazbakhtin's side head into their clash with Sutjeska as clear favourites. This status is largely due to their historic run last season, when the Almaty club became only the second Kazakh team ever to reach the main stage of the Champions League. While they didn’t cause any major upsets in the group, they gained valuable experience, pushing European giants like Inter (1-2) and Arsenal (2-3) to the limit.

Now, Kairat are once again looking strong in the Kazakhstan Premier League, which is currently in full swing. After 18 rounds, the Yellow-Blacks have suffered just one defeat. However, Ordabasy still sit higher in the table, even with two games in hand. That lone loss for Kairat came against their direct rivals from Shymkent. Still, as they prepare for the Champions League qualifiers, Kairat are in excellent form, having strung together four consecutive wins with an aggregate score of 15-3.

The Montenegrin champions are not entering the qualifiers in the best of form. With the domestic season wrapping up at the end of May and the new campaign not kicking off until August, Milorad Peković’s side find themselves at a different physical level compared to their opponents. Looking back at their previous European campaign, Sutjeska aimed for a spot in the Conference League but suffered a heavy defeat to Beitar Jerusalem in the second qualifying round, losing 3-7 on aggregate.

Sutjeska kicked off their summer preparations with three friendlies against solid opposition, but ended up on the losing side each time. They fell 0-1 to Bosnian champions Borac, 0-1 to Montenegrin runners-up Mornar, and 1-2 to Sarajevo, who finished third in Bosnia’s top flight. The “Blue-and-Whites” have shown plenty of issues on the pitch, and it’s worth noting that Kairat are a class above any of those recent opponents.