We break down what to expect from the upcoming U-18 matches.
Astana vs Taraz
Both teams have three points to their name, with Astana and Taraz each losing two matches to the current leaders of the table.
Last round, the southern side claimed their first win of the season by confidently beating Irtysh. Astana’s only success so far came on the opening match weekend, when they took hard-fought points from Aktau, with an own goal and a penalty playing an important role in the outcome. The hosts still have no goals from open play. Will that change now?
Aktobe vs Shakhter
The Miners travel to Aktobe as one of the three still-unbeaten leaders of the table.
However, unlike Kairat and Zhas Kyran, the Karaganda side cannot yet boast a high number of goals scored — just six after three rounds. At the same time, Shakhter have conceded only once, with only Kairat having a better defensive record.
As for the hosts, the Red-Whites won their only home match, while both of their defeats came away from home. Last weekend ended in a heavy loss to Kairat for Aktobe, so the hosts will surely be determined to redeem themselves in front of their supporters.
Kaisar vs Ordabasy
After beating Tobyl at the festive Kaisar Arena in the opening round, the Kyzylorda side skipped the following weekend due to the postponement of their match against the KFF Academy. Last weekend, however, the Wolves suffered a heavy defeat to Zhas Kyran.
Things are not going particularly well for the Shymkent side either. A narrow win over Aktobe thanks to Adiyat Otarbek’s brace was followed by two defeats: against Tobyl and the KFF Academy.
The team that manages to succeed in the fourth round will gain a strong psychological platform for getting onto a positive trajectory. But which team will it be?
Zhas Kyran vs Irtysh
The Almaty side, who started the season confidently with three wins, will face the team currently sitting at the bottom of the table.
Zhas Kyran’s top scorer at the moment is Alan Lukanin, who has scored four goals in three rounds. He also has two assists to his name. Sergey Sharunov has also registered a goal contribution in every match — 3+2 in the goal+assist system. Will this duo make the difference again in the fourth round? Or could Irtysh spring a surprise?
KFF Academy vs Caspiy
Although the KFF Academy are fifth in the table and have a game in hand against Kaisar, while Caspiy have lost all three of their matches, the outcome of this meeting still looks unpredictable.
The reason is that the Aktau side have a unique run of three narrow defeats — all by a 1-2 scoreline. Accordingly, Caspiy’s setbacks do not mean that matches against the Mangystau team have been an easy ride for their opponents.
It is also worth remembering the KFF Academy’s unusual win over Ordabasy in Shymkent. Although the visitors won 4-3, they did not score a single goal from open play — their success came through two own goals by the opponents and two penalties. Therefore, anything can happen in the upcoming match.
Tobyl vs Kairat
The championship leaders, who have not conceded a single goal at the start of the season, will face a difficult opponent. After a narrow defeat to Kaisar, the Kostanay side claimed two consecutive wins.
In addition, Oleg Lotov’s players have conceded only two goals in three rounds. Their goalkeeper, 16-year-old Daniil Nurzhanov, who previously spent ten years playing as a striker, has played an important role in that.
However, it should not be forgotten that the Almaty side have enough productive players, including Roman Chernomorets and Abylai Toleukhan. But special attention is drawn to the leader of the scoring race, Daulet Orynbasar — so far, he has scored in every round and already has five goals in three matches.
