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Astana play host to Premier League giants Chelsea in a UEFA Conference League game at the Almaty Central Stadium this Thursday.
Kazakh side Astana currently sit in 23rd place in the competition's league phase, giving them some hopes of making it into the playoffs for the knockout phase. Chelsea, on the other hand, are top of the table and have won all four of their games thus far.
So will it be business as usual for Chelsea or will Astana produce a huge upset this week?
Astana vs Chelsea Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
Unsurprisingly, this will be the first time Astana have faced Chelsea in European action. However, the Kazakh side have faced Premier League opposition in the past. They faced Manchester United in the 2019-20 edition of the Europa League, and pulled off a 2-1 upset in their home game against them.
Astana's league season officially ended on November 10, and they finished second to champions Kairat, meaning they will head into the qualifiers for the 2025-26 edition of the UEFA Conference League next season.
Chelsea are currently flying with confidence. They moved into second place in the Premier League last week with big wins over Southampton and Tottenham, and are now riding a seven-game unbeaten streak in the league.
Enzo Maresca's side are also flying in the Conference League, too. They have won all four of their games thus far, most recently beating German side 1. FC Heidenheim. Eight of their 18 goals came against Armenian minnows Noah.
Astana had to play three two-legged ties to even make it into the competition's league phase, and since then, they have won one game, lost two and drawn one. Their most recent game saw them concede a late equaliser against Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Astana vs Chelsea Prediction
It's impossible to rule out an upset entirely here. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is likely to make multiple changes to the side that beat Tottenham on Sunday, Astana's defeat of Manchester United will remain in their memories, and the Blues will likely face a hostile crowd.
Despite this, it's still likely that Chelsea will stroll to another win here. Their squad is one of the deepest in Europe thanks to owner Todd Boehly's wild spending sprees over the past few transfer windows, and they've had ho issue brushing their opponents aside in this competition.
Therefore, the prediction is a comfortable win for Chelsea.
Prediction: Astana 0-3 Chelsea
Astana vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Chelsea to win.
Tip 2: Chelsea to score more than 2.5 goals - Yes (Chelsea have scored more than 2.5 goals in three of their four Conference League games thus far).
Tip 3: Christopher Nkunku to score for Chelsea - Yes (Nkunku has scored in all four of Chelsea's Conference League games for a total of five in the competition).
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Edited by Scott M Newman