Astana take on the visitors Brann in the second leg of final round of UEFA Conference League qualification. First leg result: 0-2. The match will be played on Thursday, August 29th at Almaty Central Stadium (Almaty).
Kazakhstan's Astana fell 0-2 to Norwegian side Brann in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League playoff tie in Bergen last week, leaving the hosts with slim chances of reaching the group stage. However, in my opinion, the capital’s "Citizens" are still capable of putting up a strong fight against their Scandinavian guests. That loss in Norway was Astana’s only defeat in their last nine matches. Moreover, in previous home games of this qualifying campaign, the "Yellow-Blues" defeated both Moldova's Milsami 1-0 and Romania's Hunedoara 6-1. The latter victory, in particular, is impressive, especially considering that they also beat the Romanian side 2-1 away.
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Turning to Brann, the Norwegian club has been focusing heavily on their home matches during this European qualifying campaign, where they enjoy strong support from their passionate fans. However, they have not been as formidable in less favorable away environments. Notably, they recently managed draws in their away fixtures against the Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles (0-0) and Scottish club St. Mirren (1-1) in earlier rounds of the Conference League qualifiers.
I don’t see much reason for Brann to push themselves to the limit for a maximum result in this match. The team from Bergen just needs to play according to the scoreline from the first leg against Astana to secure their place in the group stage of the Conference League. Even a narrow loss would suffice for the Norwegians. But, it might be premature to write off Astana just yet. After all, they are Kazakhstan’s most successful team on the international stage and have long been supported like a national team in their country. Astana has participated in the group stages of European competitions six times: four in the Europa League, once in the Champions League, and last season in the Conference League, plus they reached the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Such achievements are beyond Brann's reach. Not to mention, some big names have struggled to get results in Astana's capital, including Manchester United (1-2), Rennes (0-2), Atlético Madrid (0-0), Celtic (3-4), Benfica (2-2), and Galatasaray (2-2). So, the tradition of home success should not be overlooked. Therefore, I expect a favorable outcome for a Double Chance (1X) bet here. Finally, it’s worth noting that Brann will be without defender Grøn, winger Simba, midfielder Wassberg, defender Torsvik, and defender Hegland in this match.
Prediction for the match: Astana not to lose (1X).
