Amid endless travel and jet lag to overcome, the Kazakh team arrives in Milan at risk of quickly becoming a sacrificial lamb. But Chivu has no intention of tolerating lapses in concentration, especially given the apparent solidity of Urazbakhtin’s squad

It’s the kind of romantic story. Almost fairy-tale-like. The Cinderella of the Champions League who, however—unlike the Disney princess—must endure hours and hours of travel, international (almost intercontinental) flights, layovers, and recover from severe jet lag to live out her own fairy tale. Because Almaty may well be Kazakhstan’s most populous city, but it is nearly 7,000 km from San Siro Stadium. A distance that risks taking its toll on everyone. Will the 10-hour flight to Milan become a factor in tomorrow’s match against Inter? It’s too early to say, especially considering that the Kazakh team also has some weaknesses—particularly on the technical side. One thing is certain, however: the Qazaqstan Prem’er Ligasy champions will be fully intent on making the most of a prestigious stage like the Meazza. Fielding the same team that just clinched the league title: on Sunday, October 26, Kairat secured another title with a home draw against Astana, and today they hope to replicate a success that looks far more challenging on paper at Inter’s home ground.

So far in Europe, Kairat has played three matches, earning one point in their debut against fellow underdog Pafos, and none against Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid. One goal scored, nine conceded. But don’t be fooled by the numbers: the Kazakh side is a solid and physically strong team, despite the goals conceded suggesting otherwise. Against Real Madrid, they stayed in the game for long stretches of the first half, falling behind only due to a penalty kick before the Blancos pulled away in the closing minutes. The story was similar against the Portuguese side: trailing only at the end of the first 45 minutes, then collapsing with three goals conceded in three minutes. This is a tactical advantage Inter can exploit tomorrow to send Chivu into the pantheon of record-breaking coaches, as the Romanian could become the first manager ever to win his first four European matches without conceding a single goal. Has he thought about it? Probably, but first Kairat must be overcome. “I don’t listen to the chatter,” said the Nerazzurri coach in his pre-match press conference, “I know an important and difficult match awaits us. Winning in the Champions League is never a given. We’re facing a team that has made it through four qualifying rounds, even eliminating Celtic.”

Kazakh defense and…—  So far, Kazakh coach Rafael Urazbakhtin has often opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation that shifts to a 4-4-2 when not in possession to gain solidity. And the roster is primarily built on a national foundation with the right dose of creativity added from abroad: there are 15 “locals” out of a group of 28 registered players. The rest? There’s a bit of Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, Serbia, and Georgia), a couple of Portuguese players, two Israelis with German passports, and a quartet of Brazilians—all in attack (Ricardinho, João Paulo, Edmilson, and Elder Santana). However, 50% of them will be absent due to injury. Kalmyrza started in goal for the first two matches but was replaced in the pecking order in the last game (and Kairat’s only clean sheet) by Anarbekov. Generally speaking, however, the starting eleven remains largely the same: a defensive line consisting of Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, and Machado Mata; Kasabulat and Arad in midfield; while there is more variation in the attacking midfield. The team’s standout player is the youngest of them all, 2008-born Dastan Satpaev, with 14 goals and 7 assists in 26 league matches. Many are convinced he’ll go far; meanwhile, Chelsea has once again beaten the competition to the punch, paying Kairat nearly 2.5 million euros to bring him into the Blues’ Under-21 squad starting next summer. Will the youngster make it? Inter hopes not. Or at least not starting today…