- FC Torpedo Kutaisi have failed to win their last 3 matches in all competitions.
- Ordabasy Shymkent have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their previous 5 games in all tournaments.
- A win for either club would be a major confidence and cash boost for the 2025-2026 UEFA Europa Conference League campaign.
Kazakhstani vs Georgian football is not a classic rivalry
Ordabasy Shymkent will be the slight favorites for Thursday’s UEFA Europa Conference League First Qualifying Round contest against FC Torpedo Kutaisi, although the Georgian side are more than capable of causing a surprise in the absence of some quality.
This will be the first-ever official matchup between these two clubs and, although the official coaches of each club are unnamed, they both play in a similar pragmatic style. Our FC Torpedo Kutaisi vs Ordabasy Shymkent preview highlights that both teams approach the game with defense-first tactics and disciplined organization.
Torpedo Kutaisi are a typically Georgian team that sit deep, get men behind the ball and play in numbers in their defensive third while looking to frustrate their opponents and hit them on the counter. They usually deploy a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation with a couple of local talents in attack who have done the business in European qualifiers in the past. However, they have had a poor run of results recently and enter this fixture having failed to win their last 3 matches and lost both games in the past month.
Ordabasy Shymkent are a Kazakhstani side that have been encouraged to play a more progressive, attacking brand of soccer under the current coach. They are a possession-based team that press high up the field and usually line-up in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 system. This FC Torpedo Kutaisi vs Ordabasy Shymkent prediction takes into account the tactical differences and recent form of both sides.
Tight matchup expected in Georgia
Ordabasy are the more consistent of the two sides, but a 25% win rate over the last six months is nothing to get too excited about and their porous defence that has shipped an average of over 2 goals per game in recent matches may get exploited here by Torpedo’s counter-attacking players.
Neither of these teams have a long pedigree in UEFA competition and both are struggling for momentum in their domestic competitions. The FC Torpedo Kutaisi vs Ordabasy Shymkent odds are evenly split at the time of writing, and Ordabasy will probably deserve to be favourites, but not by much.
A victory is a must for both clubs, as it will mean a big boost to their coffers and confidence, whereas defeat will only serve to deepen the disappointment of their poor domestic campaigns. When consulting FC Torpedo Kutaisi vs Ordabasy Shymkent betting tips, the ‘under 2.5 goals’ market looks attractive at the prices, as these sides are not known for scoring a lot of goals in this competition and a cagey game is expected. Our second FC Torpedo Kutaisi vs Ordabasy Shymkent prediction is that a low-scoring encounter is likely, based on their attacking output this season.
