Astana are going through a rough patch in the current campaign after missing out on the title in the past two seasons. The club find themselves sitting in fifth place after 12 matches with just five wins to their name and they trail leaders Ordabasy by nine points. With European qualifiers in the Conference League coming up soon the pressure is mounting on the squad to sort out their domestic form before the workload increases. A win at home against Irtysh is seen as the perfect starting point to get back on track and push for a top three finish before it is too late.
Team Form
The hosts have struggled to find consistency this term and they know that dropping more points at this stage could end their hopes of silverware. On the other side Irtysh remain rooted to the bottom of the table after managing only one victory all season which came way back in matchweek four. Since then the visitors have endured a run of six straight defeats followed by three draws showing they are far from being a threat on the road.
- Astana have won just five of their 12 league games so far
- Irtysh picked up their only win against Altai and have not beaten anyone since
- The two sides last met in 2019 when Irtysh claimed the points but much has changed since then
Tactical Analysis
Astana are expected to dominate possession at home and they will look to use their attacking options to break down a defensive Irtysh side that often sits deep. The visitors have shown little attacking threat in recent weeks and their leaky backline could struggle against the pace and movement of the hosts forwards. With the league season at a crucial stage Astana must take advantage of this fixture to build momentum ahead of their European ties.
Both teams have not faced each other in the top flight for several years so current form and motivation will play a bigger role than past results. Astana need the three points badly while Irtysh appear content with avoiding heavy defeats based on their recent draws.
Betting Proposal
Given the gap in quality and the desperate need for points at this end of the season the smart money is on the hosts to win comfortably. Astana are tipped to beat Irtysh by a margin of one goal or more with the handicap line of minus one available at odds of 1.82. This looks like the best value in what should be a straightforward home victory.
