Astana vs Chelsea: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Nothing other than a Chelsea win should be the call in this fixture. Enzo Maresca has an excellent squad at his disposal and will look to rotate his options and record a win with minimum problems.

Despite Chelsea using this competition as a chance to rotate their various options, especially in attack, Chelsea's quality has shone through in this competition as the Blues sit top of the Conference League standings, unbeaten in four, having won all four.

The Blues have been in excellent scoring form in this competition, with 18 goals, including eight scored against NOAH. Chelsea have been the first to score in five of the last seven.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their previous eight in all competitions, having won their last five, including the 4-3 comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. Astana shouldn't be any trouble for Enzo Maresca's side; the hosts may be unbeaten in three. However, the only moderate standard of opposition they faced was Vitoria from Portugal.

Astana 0-4 Chelsea

Chelsea will be looking to effectively secure their place into the next round of the UEFA Conference League as they travel to Kazakhstan to face Astana.

Date: 12/12/2024
Location: Central Stadium, Kazakhstan.
Kick-Off: 3:30 pm

It’s fair to say that Enzo Maresca has transformed this Chelsea side, which many wrote off this season. The former Leicester City manager has guided Chelsea into a potential title challenge with Liverpool at this stage of the season whilst also performing well in the UEFA Conference League. After the win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, the Blues find themselves in second place in the Premier League, four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. Cole Palmer again was on hand with two goals, with Jadon Sancho also performing brilliantly in the game.

Chelsea's quality has shone through in this competition as the Blues sit top of the Conference League standings, unbeaten in four, having won all four. The Blues can secure their spot in the next round of the competition, with the expected win over Astana only seen as a formality.

As for Astana, the Kazakhstan outfit are the record holders in their respective league with the most league titles, although last season they failed to win the Premier League. This season, Astana sits in second place, one behind league leaders Kairat Almaty. The hosts are currently 23rd in the UEFA Conference League, having only recorded four points from 12 - scoring twice and conceding four.

The game is available to watch on TNT Sports 2.

Astana Predicted Lineup: Condric, Bartolec, Kazukolovas, Kalaica, Vorogovskiy, Ebony, Amanovic, Tomasov, Gripshi, Camara, Charles.

Chelsea Team News

Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate his options with the likes of Marc Guiu, Joao Felix, and Renato Veiga to be afforded opportunities in this game.

These two teams have never met each other in any form of professional competition. However, Astana does have a record against English opposition in Manchester United. The Kazakhstani outfit lost the game at Old Trafford in the 2019/120 edition of the Europa League 1-0 but recorded a 2-1 win in the Central Stadium to give the side a famous win. This game against Chelsea will be only the third time the former Kazakhstan Premier League champions will face English opposition.

Astana are again competing for the Premier League title in their native Kazakhstan, as the hosts sit second in their respective Premier League. The hosts come into this game, having been unbeaten in their previous three games in all competitions. However, they have not won in this competition in their last two, with a concerning defeat to Pafos in a 1-0 scoreline. The game against Vitória de Guimarães resulted in a 1-1 draw for Astana, despite the Portuguese side having a total of 34 shots on Astana’s goal.

Chelsea will be faring against much stronger opposition in the Premier League and other competitions, so their form is far stronger despite the upgrade in quality. Chelsea are unbeaten in their previous eight in all competitions, having won their last five, including the 4-3 comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. Chelsea have been excellent in front of goal by scoring first in five of their previous seven.

Chelsea have been nothing short of excellent in this competition, as the Blues have averaged 4.5 goals per game and only conceded three. Enzo Maresca’s side have been averaging 20.5 shots per game with an impressive conversion rate of 22%. In their recent UEFA Conference League game, Chelsea were efficient in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim, thanks to goals from Mykhaylo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku.

Chelsea have been magnificent away from home, as the visitors for this game have won their last four in all competitions, following the excellent 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which leaves them four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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