Astana carry a 1-0 aggregate advantage into this second leg courtesy of Ramazan Karimov’s second-half strike in the away fixture.
Grigory Babayan’s side have been in ruthless form at the Astana Arena, winning their last five home matches while also stringing together three consecutive victories across all competitions.
New signings Alexander Merkel and Ivan Miladinovic add further squad depth to a group already brimming with confidence heading into this qualifier.
Dinamo City face a daunting task in Kazakhstan. They must overturn a one-goal deficit against a side thriving on home soil, and recent results offer little encouragement.
The visitors have lost their last three matches without scoring a single goal, a barren run that exposes serious attacking limitations.
Defensive fragility compounds the problem; they conceded in each of their five pre-season fixtures.
Returning to European competition after a lengthy absence, the odds are stacked firmly against them.
Five consecutive victories at the Astana Arena speak volumes about the fortress Grigory Babayan has built, and Dinamo City arrive having lost three straight matches without finding the net once.
That goalless run across all competitions makes overturning a one-goal deficit on hostile turf a tall order.
Astana have no incentive to chase a high-scoring affair when they already lead on aggregate.
Dinamo City’s attacking output has dried up completely, and their defensive frailties suggest they could concede without generating much threat going forward.
A controlled, low-scoring home victory fits the profile of this tie perfectly.
Both teams to score “No” at N/A complements the picture. Dinamo City have drawn a blank in each of their last three outings, and the pressure of needing to score first could leave them exposed to Astana’s counter-attacks.
Fresh additions Alexander Merkel and Ivan Miladinovic give the hosts added squad depth to manage the contest.
A clean sheet for Astana looks a strong possibility.
Odds correct at time of publication.
Recent form Season statistics (1) Recent form Season statistics (1) Starters Bench Absent Starters Bench Absent Low confidence Both lineups carry a speculated tag ahead of this Conference League opener, so treat the formations with appropriate caution.
That said, the projected 5-3-2 vs 4-3-3 matchup frames a fascinating structural contest, with Astana’s wing-backs expected to absorb the width that Dinamo City’s front three will try to exploit.
B. Islamkhan shapes up as the creative fulcrum in Astana’s midfield three, while Tiago Nani adds experience and unpredictability to the visitors’ attack.
Both projected XIs share the same speculative sourcing, so neither side holds a meaningful confidence edge over the other heading into kickoff.
Average statistics (recent meetings) This Europa Conference League second leg kicks off at Astana Arena on 16th July 2026 at 16:00 local time.
This match takes place at the Astana Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Check local listings for Europa Conference League broadcast details in your region.
