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Astana host Corvinul Hunedoara at the Pavlodar Central Stadium on Thursday for the second leg of their clash in the Europa Conference League third qualifying round. The Kazakh side are looking to get the job done after taking a slender 2-1 advantage in the first encounter.
Looking to secure qualification for tournament finals for the second year in a row, the Astaneses fell behind early last week. Antoniu Manolache's 37th-minute opener had Hunedoara's noses in front.
But after the break, the visitors sprung to life. In the 62nd minute, they equalized through Ousmane Camara, before Geoffrey Chinedu completed the turnaround another 18 minutes later.
It gives them an upper hand in the tie ahead of the return leg this week, while it was also their third consecutive victory in all competitions. The momentum is clearly in their favor as Astana have their sights on the playoffs.
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On the other hand, Hunedoara are playing in Europe for the first time since 1982, when the Romanian side had qualified for the UEFA Cup. This season, they've already been knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers, and now face yet another elimination, unless they somehow manage to win by a two-goal margin.
Astana vs Corvinul Hunedoara Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This is only the second official clash between the sides
- Astana have faced a Romanian side on three occasions before, winning twice
- In four away games in Europe so far, Corvinul Hunedoara have lost twice and won once: a 4-0 win over Hungarian side Paks
- In five European games this season, Corvinul Hunedoara have won just once: a 4-0 win away to Paks in the first one; they've lost thrice since then
- Astana are just a draw away from reaching the playoff stage of the Europa Conference League for the seocnd year running
Astana vs Corvinul Hunedoara Prediction
Astana have more experience in Europe and have a narrow advantage too. Barring an implosion, the Yellow and Blues should progress into the playoff round.
Prediction: Astana 2-1 Corvinul Hunedoara
Astana vs Corvinul Hunedoara Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Astana
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
