Temirlan Anarbekov — the main hero of a lost Champions League match

Kazakhstan’s Kairat lost 0–1 to Greek Olympiacos in the 6th round of the Champions League, yet the true hero of the match was not the winner. Kairat’s 22-year-old goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov delivered a brilliant performance and did everything possible to keep the intrigue alive until the very end.

Anarbekov made eight crucial saves, repeatedly rescuing his team from dangerous shots inside the penalty area. Thanks to his skill, Kairat held a goalless draw up until the 73rd minute, when Gelson Martins finally managed to beat the Kazakh keeper and secure a narrow win for Olympiacos.

Despite the defeat, Anarbekov was named UEFA’s Man of the Match, while the analytical platform SofaScore awarded him an impressive rating of 9.2. This is not his first standout performance in this season’s Champions League: earlier, against Pafos, he helped Kairat achieve a 0–0 draw and earned the maximum score of 10.0. He was also a key figure in the penalty shootout victory over Celtic in UCL qualification.

UEFA highlighted his contribution in an official comment:

“Most of his saves came after shots from inside the penalty area, and he prevented what could have turned into a much larger win for Olympiacos.”

The match was played in tough conditions — on a snowy pitch in Astana. Olympiacos looked sharper and logically took all three points, strengthening their position in the standings. Kairat now heads into a long break: their next match will take place only in January, against Brugge. The season in Kazakhstan has already ended, so the team enters a lengthy winter pause.

After 6 rounds, Olympiacos sits in 26th place with 6 points and still has a chance to reach the playoffs. Kairat, with 1 point, is in the penultimate position and has lost all chances of reaching the top 24.