Kairat Almaty arrive with a perfect home record in the qualifiers and have won their last two matches without conceding, relying on late goals to settle tight contests. Levski Sofia are unbeaten across their five matches this season but travel with three regular starters missing…
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Sign inKairat Almaty trail Levski Sofia 1-0 as they return to their 26,242-capacity Ortalyq stadıon home in Almaty for the decisive second leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie on 11 August. A comeback is essential if the Kazakh champions are to stay on course for the playoff round and a meeting with AEK Athens.
Both sides approach the second leg with clean bills of health. Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin could be tempted to hand a start to Brazilian forward Edmilson, whose equaliser off the bench against Omonia forced a penalty shootout in the previous round. Marc Gual is expected to lead the line once more, supported by the creative trio of Jukkola, Kasabulat and Kurgin.
Levski Sofia manager Julio Velazquez has no reason to alter a side that has won every competitive outing since pre-season. The Bulgarian champions will again rely on their established attacking three: Everton Bala, who has two goals and an assist in Champions League qualifying, along with flanks supplied by Armstrong Oko-Flex and Reinaldo. Serginho, who scored the only goal of the first leg, retains his midfield role.
Kairat are chasing a third consecutive domestic league title and sit second in the Kazakhstan Premier League with only one defeat from 20 games. Last season they made their group-stage debut in the Champions League proper, collecting just one point from eight matches to finish rock bottom – an experience they will be desperate to put behind them by navigating this qualifying hurdle.
The 1-0 first-leg defeat in Sofia leaves the tie finely balanced. Edmilson’s impact as a substitute in the Omonia triumph demonstrates Kairat’s ability to change games in the final third, but they will need to commit more numbers forward earlier without sacrificing defensive control against Levski’s speedy counter-attacks.
Levski ended Ludogorets’ 14-year Bulgarian title reign last season and have begun their defence in emphatic fashion with three straight domestic wins. Their return to Champions League qualifying for the first time since 2009‑10 has already yielded aggregate victories over Borac Banja Luka and Universitatea Craiova, and the 1-0 first-leg advantage over Kairat puts them firmly in the driving seat.
Bala’s goal threat, combined with the width offered by Oko-Flex and Reinaldo, makes Levski a potent counter-attacking unit. Having kept a clean sheet in Sofia, they can travel to Almaty knowing that even a score draw would send them through.
Kairat’s central pairing of Oksanen and Mendonsa will be tasked with dictating tempo and cutting off the supply lines to Levski’s wingers. If they can pin Velazquez’s side into their own half, the home crowd at Ortalyq stadıon could become a factor. However, Levski’s direct transitions – often orchestrated by Serginho – have punished sides who overcommit, as the first-leg goal demonstrated.
Set-piece delivery may also prove decisive. Kairat will look to centre-backs Africo and Martynovich to cause chaos in the box, while Levski’s backline, marshalled by Dimitrov and Serafimov, has yet to be breached in the competition this season.
The winner of this tie advances to a Champions League playoff against AEK Athens, with the first leg scheduled for 18‑19 August. A place in the revamped league phase and the financial windfall that accompanies it hangs in the balance. For Kairat, overturning a one-goal deficit at home would erase the memory of last season’s group-stage struggles; for Levski, reaching the playoff round would cap a remarkable return to the European elite.
Kairat Almaty
MID · 90' · 3 key passes · 1 shot (1 on target)
MID · 90' · 1 key pass · 2 shots (2 on target)
DEF · 90' · 2 key passes · 3 shots (1 on target)
1
FWD · 84' · 2 key passes · 3 shots
DEF · 90' · 1 key pass · 1 shot (1 on target)
Levski Sofia
GK · 90' · 1 key pass
DEF · 90'
MID · 90' · 1 key pass
MID · 90'
DEF · 90'
44
25
4
13
8
19
22
24
28
92
20
31
50
21
35
18
19
7
17
11Kairat Almaty
Coach: Rafael Urazbakhtin
Levski Sofia
Coach: Julio Velazquez
