Competition: Champions League
Date: 09.07.2019
Betting Tips: 1
Odds: 2.30
Stake: 3/10 units
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Who can hope for the CL group stage? Let’s Find Out Together!
In the first round of the Champions League qualifying for the 2019/20 season, two clubs with experience in the European Cup meet on Tuesday afternoon. The Astana Football Club made it in the 2015/16 season as the first team from Kazakhstan in the Champions League group stage. The Romanian club CFR 1907 Cluj managed this feat even three times, for the first time in the season 2008/09. Then also 2010/11 and 2012/13. Now both want to go back to the first main round, but have a long way to go.
Football Betting Tips Astana vs CFR Cluj
The second leg in Cluj-Napoca is coming up next Wednesday. In the best case, two more qualifying rounds and the play-offs to the group stage await the winner. A big advantage of the home side is certainly the fact that the Premjer League in Kazakhstan is already in the middle of the season. In Romania, the new season does not begin until next weekend. The bookmakers send the hosts in the game Astana vs CFR Cluj on the odds as easy favorites in the race. The betting base agrees with this opinion and sets in the duel Astana vs CFR Cluj their tip on “Victory Astana”.
Astana – Statistics & Current Form
For years the Premjer League in Kazakhstan has been dominated by Astana. The last five championships all went to the Blue and Yellow from the capital of the country. Also this season the club is fighting for the title again. After 19 matchdays, the champion is again in the first place in the table. Currently, however, only because of the better goal difference. The main competitor this season is FK Tobol Qostanai, who also scored 38 points on the account but two fewer games. Astana FC have 12 wins, two draws and five defeats this season.
With 21 points from ten home games, the team of coach Roman Grigorchuk is the strongest home team in the league. On the opponent’s place, there were only four victories in eight games. Thus, you can find the club in the away table “only” in third place, four points behind Tobol and Qysylorda. In the preseason Astana was still with a lead of 15 points on Almaty champion. To the five championships come for the FC meanwhile three cup successes in Kazakhstan.
“We got the strongest opponent in the first round, but that makes it all the more interesting. Two games against such an opponent will make us stronger as well. We will try everything to move into the next round. ” – Roman Grigorchuk
In the season 2015/16 the club was allowed to celebrate its biggest success on an international level. The Blue and Yellow joined Benfica Lisbon, Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray Istanbul in Group C of the Champions League. In the end, Astana retired from the competition with four draws, two defeats and a goal difference of 5:11 as bottom of the table, but had the biggest success of a club from Kazakhstan realized. In the last five seasons Astana managed three times in the Europa League group stage, but could only make the jump to the sixteenth finals once. 2017/18 was followed by Aus with 1: 3 and 3: 3 against Benfica.
Before the season, the club was strengthened with players such as Luka Simunovic, Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Grasshopper), Didar Schalmukan, Dorin Rotariu (Bruges), Firmin Ndombe Mubele (Toulouse) and Sergei Chischnichenko. Well-known player is the former Dortmunder and sixties Antonio Rukavina. On Friday, the AFC was able to make up important points in the table with a 2-0 away win against the main competitor for the championship Tobol. Before that, the reigning champions suffered two consecutive defeats in the league. The victory on the last matchday should give Astana tailwind and thus quite before the CL game Astana vs CFR Cluj speak for a prediction on the home side.
Expected formation of Astana:
↪ Eric – Rukavina, Postnikov, Logvinenko, Beysebekov – Simunovic – Rotariu, Sigurjonsson, Maevskiy, Tomasov – Murtazaev
Last matches from Astana:
⚽️ 05.07.2019 – Tobol Qostanai Vs. Astana 0-2 (Premier League)
⚽️ 30.06.2019 – Astana vs. Qairat Almaty 0: 2 (Premier League)
⚽️ 23.06.2019 – Ordabasy Shymkent Vs. Astana 3: 2 (Premier League)
⚽️ 16.06.2019 – Astana vs. Qaisar Qysylorda 4: 1 (Premier League)
⚽️ 31.05.2019 – Astana vs. Schetissu Taldyqorghan 1: 0 (Premier League)
CFR Cluj – Statistics & Current Form
With five championship titles, the CFR Cluj in Romania is still far behind the record champions Steaua (26 titles) and Dinamo (18 titles) from Bucharest. All five titles, the club from Cluj-Napoca but in the last twelve years. Most recently, the CFR was even two consecutive champions in the Romanian League 1. 2017/18, the lead over runner-up Steaua at the end of the season was four points, 2018/19 five counters. In addition, the club has also been four times Cup winner.
The Violet-Whites also have a lot of experience in the European Cup. Already three times the Romanians played in the Champions League group stage. Immediately in the first group game in the premier class, the club made in September 2008 with a 2-1 away win at AS Roma for a big surprise. In the end, Cluj was still fourth with four points. Also in 2010/11 it was enough with four points in the CL group only to fourth place. In the Champions League season 2012/13, the CFR rose as a third in the table after all in the Europa League, failed there in the sixteenth final but clearly at Inter Milan.
Before the current season, coach Dan Petrescu’s squad was joined by Andrei Burca, Mateo Susic, Mario Rondon, Luis Aurelio, Cosmin Vatca, Michael Pereira and Yacouba Sylla. In central defense, however, one had to cope with the departures of Kevin Boli and Cristi Manea. Two or three new players are still to be brought. Coach Dan Petrescu, who spent five years as a pro for Chelsea, began his second term with Cluj in March this year.
In preparation, the champions met FC Orenburg (1-0), Red Star Belgard (1-1), NK Osijek (2-1), Mlada Boleslav (1-0) and Sparta Prague (1-0). The league season starts for Cluj next Saturday with the home game against CSM Politehnica Iasi. On Saturday for the champion was also the Supercup against Cup winner Viitorul. Here the CFR conceded the first defeat of the new season by conceding in the 86th minute. The lack of match practice and the defeat in the first competitive match are also reasons that the guests, although they are individually better occupied, in the game Astana vs CFR Cluj come into play on the odds as outsiders.
Expected formation of CFR Cluj:
↪ Arlauskis – Peteleu, Vinicius, Muresan, Camora – Djokovic, Itu, Bordeianu – Deac, Costache, Omrani
Last matches of CFR Cluj:
⚽️ 06.07.2019 – CFR Cluj vs Viitorul Constanta 0: 1 (Super Cup)
⚽️ 29.06.2019 – CFR Cluj vs Sparta Prague 1: 0 (friendly)
⚽️ 28.06.2019 – CFR Cluj vs Mlada Boleslav 1: 0 (Friendly Match)
⚽️ 26.06.2019 – CFR Cluj vs NK Osijek 2: 1 (Friendly Match)
⚽️ 22.06.2019 – Red Star Belgrade vs. CFR Cluj 1: 1 (friendly)
Astana vs CFR Cluj Direct Comparison & Statistics Highlights
Both teams meet for the first time on Tuesday.
Astana vs CFR Cluj Our Best Betting Tips Explained
At home Astana is quite strong. In 14 Champions League home games, there was only one defeat, in August 2018 against Dinamo Zagreb. Cluj is also unbeaten in six games away in the premier class. In the 2012/13 season, the Romanians won, among other things, 2-1 in Basel and 1-0 at Manchester United. Added to a 1: 1 at Galatasaray. The last CL games of CFR, however, are a long time ago. In the preseason Cluj missed the group stage in the Europa League by the end in the play-offs against the Luxembourg champions Dudelange.
Key facts – Astana vs CFR Cluj tips
⭐️ In 14 home games of the premier class Astana had to take only one defeat
⭐️ Cluj has been unbeaten in six games away in the Champions League
⭐️ The first leg is the first duel between the two teams
Astana is the best home team in the domestic league and has suffered only one home defeat in their history. The biggest advantage of the home side may also be that you are already in the middle of the season. Cluj has only completed a competitive game with the Supercup, which was lost promptly. We believe that the lack of match practice could be the decisive factor and set the game against Astana. CFR Cluj our tip on “Victory Astana”.
