- Team form: Astana have won 3 games in a row, most recently beating Dinamo Tirana 1-0 away two days ago.
- Opponents form: Dinamo Tirana are without a win in 5 matches, losing 4 and winning none.
Home advantage will tell
Astana have a stranglehold on the head-to-head after defeating Dinamo Tirana 1-0 in the away game just two days prior, but it was no more than they deserved and the Albanians will need to put in a very strong performance to turn this tie around.
In all fairness, Dinamo have been poor and it would be no surprise to see the Kazakhstanis come out on top once more in this encounter, and they are understandably the strong favorites with a price of 1.42.
Dinamo’s dilemma
Dinamo's best route to success will be to win the ball high up the field and attack the space behind Astana's advancing full-backs, which will be severely tested on Thursday.
Ilir Daja's side have toggled between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, using a high-energy press and direct wide bursts to force turnovers. However, in their current form, they look unlikely to see much of the ball and could struggle.
Astana are in fine form
Tactical setup
Grigori Babayan has clearly moulded Astana into a compact, organised 4-2-3-1 side that builds patiently through a double pivot and utilise creative runners in the half-spaces. Marin Tomasov and Bauyrzhan Islamkhan are the most dangerous when the game opens up a bit, while Ramazan Karimov has been the early danger man in this UEFA Conference League qualification round after scoring the only goal of the game away.
Home record
Astana have been ruthless on home ground in all competitions, winning each of their last 5 (W5, D0, L0) and scoring an average of 2.20 goals per game whilst conceding just 0.60 per game.
Albanians are on a losing streak
It is hard to fancy Dinamo at the moment, especially after back-to-back defeats to KF Egnatia and Astana has put the Albanians in a wobble.
We're going to stick with the home side to edge this one again and we think the odds on that selection are generous enough to take a bet on the outcome, even if it may be a tight game, as the draw is coming in at 4.2.
- Across their last 10 matches in all competitions (W2, D3, L5), they have won just 2, drawn 3 and lost 5 – hardly the momentum you want for a two-leg tie.
- Dinamo have scored just 3 goals in their 5 away matches in all competitions, so they struggle to be as much of an attacking threat as they would want on the road.
