Kairat Almaty came out on top in an extraordinary 7-5 victory over Omonia Nicosia in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The match was defined by a remarkable 12 goals and a red card for Omonia's Andronikos Kakoullis in the 26th minute, which left the visitors playing with ten men for over an hour.
Edmilson put Kairat ahead in the 37th minute, but the real drama unfolded in extra time, where all remaining goals were scored. The game swung back and forth: Anastasios Chatzigiovanis equalised, only for Jaakko Oksanen and Aleksandr Martynovich to make it 3-1. Panagiotis Andreou and Angelos Neophytou pulled Omonia level, then Marc Gual restored Kairat's lead. Ioannis Kousoulos again levelled, before Azamat Tuyakbayev and Andreas Christou traded goals. Mansur Birkurmanov finally sealed the win for Kairat with the 11th goal of the match.
The match featured an incredible eight goals in extra time alone, with Omonia showing great fight despite being a man down for most of normal time and losing Senou Coulibaly to a second yellow in the 111th minute. The final 7-5 scoreline reflected a relentless attacking contest, with no side able to hold a lead until Birkurmanov's decisive strike.
