Paphos vs FC Astana prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-06 17:45.
[p]Pafos are in the hunt to become just the second Cypriot team to reach the knockout phase of a European competition. A win and a defeat from their opening two league-stage games of the UEFA Conference League mean that Juan Carlos Carcedo’s side have every chance of matching the achievements of APOEL, which would be a remarkable feat for a club who made their debut in continental football earlier this season.[/p]
[p]They certainly warmed up for the visit of Astana in fine form, dishing out a 4-0 hammering to Omonia Aradippou on Sunday to stretch their lead at the top of the First Division to five points. That result means that Pafos, who are hoping to win the Cypriot championship for the first time this season, have lost just two of their last 13 games across all competitions (W10, D1). [/p]
[p]That will not be welcome news to Astana, who failed to go back top of the Kazakhstan Premier League at the weekend after losing 1-0 to Tobol. As a consequence, the Yellow and Blues have lost successive away fixtures for the first time since May, with the other game during this current sequence being a 2-0 Conference League reversal against Welsh outfit The New Saints.[/p]
[p]Astana will be keen to bounce back from that result to boost their chances of emulating their run to the UEFA Europa League last 32 in 2017/18. Like Pafos, they have three points from two league-phase outings so far, but their recent record on the road in continental competitions inspires little confidence, as they have managed just one victory in their last 11 European main-draw away encounters (D3, L7).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Pafos star Anderson Silva has scored seven goals this season, all of which have come after half-time. Leading the line for Astana could be Ramazan Karimov, who has netted first or last in eight of his last ten goalscoring appearances.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: There have been 3+ goals scored in eight of Pafos’ last 11 games.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]