Real Madrid travels 4,000 miles for a Champions League match

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) — Real Madrid takes a long, unprecedented trip to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Kazakhstan joined UEFA in 2002 having previously competed in the Asian Football Confederation. The western part of Kazakhstan is geographically part of Europe, but Madrid – the record 15-time European champion – is traveling to the country’s capital in the east, nearly 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) from the Spanish capital.

“You have to adapt, it’s not a question of whether the trip bothers you or not,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. “It’s just another game, and the trip is neither an impediment nor an excuse.”

Madrid, which defeated Marseille 2-1 in its opening game, will hope to bounce back from a chastening 5-2 loss at city rival Atlético Madrid in La Liga on Saturday – the team’s first defeat of the season.

Kairat loss its tournament debut at Sporting Lisbon 4-1 but has a strong European record at home with just four defeats from its last 30 matches in Almaty.

Bayern Munich visits Pafos in Cyprus for another match against a tournament newcomer.

Atlético is also playing, with Eintracht Frankfurt visiting after nearly throwing away a six-goal lead on Saturday in a 6-4 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Chelsea welcomes José Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge with Benfica. The Portuguese coach had two spells in charge of Chelsea, where he branded himself as the “Special One.”

Tottenham already went inside the Arctic Circle to face Bodø/Glimt — winning in the Europa League semifinals in May — and returns for the Norwegian champion’s first home game in the main stage of the Champions League.

In other games, Liverpool visits Galatasaray, Marseille hosts Ajax, and Club Brugge visits Atalanta in Italy, where Inter Milan hosts Slavia Prague.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer