FC Astana vs Dynamo Kiev Predictions

Kazakhstan side Astana enter game week 5 in a great position in their Europa League group. They currently sit top of Group K with 8 points from their 4 games after 2 wins and 2 draws. Their domestic league has finished recently so all focus can be on their Europa League campaign now and they enter this game in good form, winning their last 3 consecutive games all at home, scoring 9 goals in the process.

Dynamo Kyiv travel to Kazakhstan sitting 2nd in Group K, only behind leaders Astana by virtue of them drawing 2-2 in Ukraine. There is a 5 point gap between the top two and third placed Rennes so a draw here would pretty much put both sides through to the knockout stages of the competition. They head into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-1 away loss against Oleksandria in their domestic league.

Astana have made a great start to their Europa League campaign this season, beating Rennes 2-0 and Jablonec 2-1 both on home soil and securing 2 draws away from home against Dynamo Kyiv and Jablonec. They have given themselves a great chance of progressing and a positive result here on Thursday will guarantee them top spot.

Dynamo Kyiv will also be pleased by their exploits in the Europa League so far this season, after back to back 2-2 draws against Astana and away at Jablonec, they followed them up with back to back wins over Rennes, a 2-1 away win in France and then a 3-1 home triumph to put themselves in a great position in Group K.

At home Astana are a real force in European competition with teams not envying the trip to Kazakhstan to play them. They have won both of their home group games this season as well as beating APOEL in the qualification round. They have lost just 4 of their 16 home games in the competition and will expect a positive result here. They are great scorers at home also, finding the net in the last 9 consecutive home Europa League games.

Dynamo Kyiv are also very solid away from home in the Europa League, losing just 1 of their last 8 games on the road. They also perform well on the scoring front, netting in their last 7 away games in the competition.

The bookmakers seem to be hedging their bets here with the draw priced up much shorter than usual, maybe thinking they will play out a draw here as it would secure both sides qualification to the knock out stages. Both sides are in good scoring form in this season’s competition, with both teams to score landing in 3/4 Astana group games and in 4/4 Dynamo Kyiv group games. We see the same here and shall be backing Both Teams to Score.

Both sides will be wary that a draw is a good result for them so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lack of effort in the last 15 if the scores are tied, however I can see a game full of goals here. Astana have scored 2 in both home group games this season and Dynamo have scored 2 in both away games and alongside the 2-2 draw when the two sides met in the reverse fixture we can see a repeat of that scoreline here.