Clashes of Leaders and Underdogs: Preview of Matchweek 8 in the Freedom QJ League

Kairat vs. Zhas Kyran: Only One Will Stay Unbeaten?

Matchweek 8 will finally bring together the two Almaty-based teams – still the only sides yet to taste defeat this season.

Zhas Kyran have returned to winning ways in recent rounds but haven’t dazzled in attack, scraping past Aktobe and Taraz with narrow victories. Will Sergey Kirov’s side be able to cause problems for the yellow-and-blacks?

Taraz vs. Atyrau: Who Will Climb Higher?

These teams are neighbors in the standings – Taraz sit in eighth place, trailing the Oilers by just one point. Both sides suffered defeats last week: while Taraz narrowly lost to Zhas Kyran, Atyrau endured a heavy 0:4 loss to struggling Aktobe.

Will one of the teams give their fans something to cheer about – or will they end up sharing the spoils?

Kaisar vs. Aktobe: A Clash of Motivations

After a promising run – beating Caspiy and drawing with Zhas Kyran – Kaisar have hit a rough patch, losing three straight matches while scoring just once and conceding seventeen goals.

Aktobe, meanwhile, returned from the June break with a commanding win over Atyrau and now look to prove their resurgence is no fluke. Kaisar fans, on the other hand, are hoping for redemption after their team conceded ten unanswered goals to Astana in Matchweek VII.

Caspiy vs. Ordabasy: A Crucial Moment for the Visitors

Back-to-back defeats have left Ordabasy five points adrift of the top three – meaning they can’t afford to drop more points. With their main rivals facing off in other matchups this round, the outcome of their trip to Aktau carries extra weight for the Shymkent side.

Meanwhile, Caspiy remain the league’s only team without a single point – but Konstantin Chernyavsky’s squad will surely be doing all they can to shed that unwanted distinction.

Irtysh vs. Tobol: Can Pavlodar Break Their Losing Streak?

Tobol claimed a win over Caspiy in the previous round – but before that, they had collected just two points from six games, with draws against Ordabasy and Taraz.

Irtysh, meanwhile, have suffered two consecutive defeats, narrowly losing to Astana and Shakhter. Despite those results, Ruslan Rakhmetov found his scoring touch again, netting three goals in the two matches and ending a three-game drought after his explosive start to the season. Can the 16-year-old midfielder lead Pavlodar to victory this time?

Astana vs. Shakhtyor: The Main Showdown of the Week

The headline clash of the upcoming matchweek features two teams tied for second and third in the standings. Both Astana and Shakhtyor have 14 points from seven games, with the capital side holding the edge on goal difference.

So far, the only team to beat either of them has been Kairat. Will one of these contenders hand the other a second defeat of the season – or will the points be shared?

There’s plenty of intrigue around individual performances too. All eyes will be on Astana’s Maksat Abrayev, who last week scored four goals and provided two assists – all in just 45 minutes. And can Shakhtyor’s midfielder Naiman Satenov surprise once again, after converting four penalties in one game against Irtysh? We’ll find out soon.