Astana vs BATE Borisov is the ultimate post-Soviet Europa League encounter. It is sad that ultimately only one of these teams will compete in the group stage of the Europa League, especially considering that both teams were part of the UEFA Champions League last season.
Both clubs were eliminated in the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualifications this season. While Astana’s elimination at the hands of the Scottish giant Celtic Glasgow is not a huge disaster, BATE’s elimination at the hands of the Irish semi-professional club Dundalk most certainly is.
Hence, for BATE the Europa League playoffs in particular will be about damage control, as the Belarusian club is dependent on the money earned from European football to maintain its status as the biggest club in Belarusian football (read more about that here).
Meanwhile, for Astana a second straight participation in the group stages of one of the two major European competitions can be considered a major success, and another major stepping stone towards further establishing football in Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, Europa League football may help Astana to hold onto several of their most talented players. The Serbian star Nemanja Maksimović in particular could be tempted to leave the club this summer if Astana fail to make it to the next round.
In fact Maksimović in particular is in high demand in Western Europe, and the defensive midfielder, who will most certainly leave in the winter when the Kazakh Premier League ends, could be tempted to pack his bags early and move this summer.
For BATE the most important player will be Alexander Hleb, who after a short spell in Turkey has once again returned to the club. Hleb came on in the 45th minute against Dundalk when the score was just 1-0, but the midfielder, along with the entire squad, disappointed as Dundalk managed to add two more goals for a 3-0 victory.
Hence, Hleb will want to make sure that his club can reach the Europa League group stage; otherwise he will be confined to enjoy the few remaining games in the Belarusian Vysheyshaya Liga.
In fact the calendar of the two club’s domestic leagues is another curiosity of the tie. Both the Belarusian Vysheyshaya Liga and the Kazakh Premier League use the old Soviet Vyshaya Liga schedule, and therefore run throughout the calendar year rather than from the fall to the spring of the following year, as is the case in Western Europe.
BATE Borisov are currently comfortably leading the league 13 points ahead of second placed Shakhtyor Soligorsk. Astana meanwhile are four points ahead of Kairat Almaty in the championship round.
Hence, both clubs know how to dominate their opposition, and the match on Thursday will therefore provide an interesting competition between two teams that are not afraid to play offensive football.
Possible Line-ups
FC Astana:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Eric – Engel, Anicic, Logvinenko, Beysebekov – Maksimović, Cañas, – Muzhikov, Nurgaliyev, Ibraimi – Kabananga
Manager: Stanimir Stoilov
BATE Borisov:
Formation: 3-6-1
Veremko – Dubra, Polyakov, Zhavnerchik – Gordejchuk, Gvilia, Ivanić, Kendysh, Rios, Stasevich – Rodionov
Manager: Aleksandr Yermakovich
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