Real Madrid now know their schedule for the Champions League, including the date of their match against Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. Los Blancos will face the tournament debutants on September 30, just days after their La Liga clash with Atlético de Madrid.
The trip to Almaty is part of a gruelling two-week stretch for Madrid. Between September 21 and October 5, they will play five matches—against Espanyol, Levante, Atlético, Kairat Almaty, and Villarreal—packed into just 14 days. That means no more than three days of rest between games.
Adding to the challenge, the team will endure more than twenty hours of travel on the round trip from Madrid to Almaty, and the match comes only two days after their derby with Atlético. Upon their return from Kazakhstan, Xabi Alonso’s side will host Villarreal at the Bernabéu on the weekend of October 4–5.