Kairat v Aberdeen
Thursday 30th July –Kickoff: 15:45hrs
Football – Europe – Europa League Betting Tips
Such is the nature of qualifying for the Europa League, this will be the fifth game in the competition already, for both Kairat and Aberdeen. That is not as much of an issue for the Kazakh’s, however, as they are 22 games into their season, whilst The Dons are yet to kick-off their domestic campaign, which begins this weekend when they travel to Dundee United. That contrast in where the two teams are at is bound to have an impact on match sharpness and overall fitness, in favour of the home club, and it should not be underestimated how much of an advantage that is. It is another obstacle that Aberdeen and clubs like them have to overcome, though, as they bid to reach the group stages of the competition for the first ever time.
Kairat – who top their domestic league – have reached this stage after seeing off Crvena Zvezda of Serbia, and Armenian club Alashkert in the first two rounds of qualifying. Their performance over Zvezda (formerly known as Red Star Belgrade) will rank as their best ever result in Europe, in what is admittedly a very brief history. The 4-1 win on aggregate was well-deserved and could have been more emphatic had they taken even half their chances in the first leg. Their next tie, where they saw off the conquerors of St Johnstone – a domestic opponent of Aberdeen – was also comfortable enough. A dominant 3-0 home win over Alashkert was followed by a 2-1 defeat in Armenia but the final score probably did not do justice to Kairat’s overall superiority. This again will be another step-up for them but the Kazakh’s will be in very confident mood.
Aberdeen have not had it quite as straightforward as Thursday’s opponents, relying on a nervy opening round win on away-goals against Macedonian minnows, Shkendija. That was followed up with one of their finest results in recent history, defeating Croatian side Rijeka 3-0 away from home. Derek McInnes’ men did have to endure a scare in the return leg, however, going down 2-0 in the second half before responding well and getting it back to 2-2. It means The Dons have won once and drawn their other three games in Europe so far, and if they could continue their unbeaten run in Kazakhstan then it would be a huge step into the final qualifying round. This was the stage they reached last season before succumbing to Spanish side Real Sociedad, and no matter what way you look at, this tie certainly provides a much better opportunity to progress further.
For a lot of the bigger clubs, the Europa League can often be seen as something of a distraction and an inconvenience, but that is certainly not the case for these two clubs. It may not have the glamour of the Champions League but for more provincial clubs, the Europa League can bring with it much needed extra income and the prospect of facing some very big clubs. Before either of these clubs can think of that, though, they still have to overcome another two qualifiers.
Kairat v Aberdeen Betting Tips
Having to travel to what is essentially Asia, and facing a team who are well into their domestic season is certainly not ideal for Aberdeen but their performance in the previous round will have them in buoyant mood ahead of this one. The temperature will not be as fierce as it could have been which is another bonus, as soaring heat can often prove difficult to handle for a team who are practically still in their pre-season. Kairat are enjoying an excellent season in their domestic league and will be dreaming of competing in the Champions League qualifiers come next season. It’s all about the Europa League for now, though, and a repeat of their displays in the first couple of rounds would see them hard to beat at home, in my opinion. They have won their last seven home games in all competitions, averaging over two goals a game, conceding only three in that spell. There are reports that strikers Gerard Gohou and Sito Riera are likely to miss tonight’s game, which would be a huge blow for the home team. Gohou, in particular, has been in excellent form and has already scored three goals in this competition. As much as I believe Kairat will have too much for the visitors, I am not willing to put them up as a selection if they are without their preferred striking duo.
Instead, that news has convinced me to side with a low-scoring game. Aberdeen are usually we very well-drilled team and have conceded just one goal in their two away games thus far. The Dons conceded just 33 goals in their 38 league games last season, and as their hosts are without key attacking players, I’m willing to chance that there will be one or fewer goals in this contest.
Under 1.5 goals 13/8 @ Betfred
