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Levski Sofia host Kairat Almaty at the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium on Tuesday evening as two in-form champions battle for a place in the UEFA Champions League playoff round.
The Bulgarian title holders have maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign across domestic and European competition, while Kairat travel to Sofia after another impressive qualifying run and with confidence boosted by their excellent league form.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Levski Sofia vs Kairat Almaty key stats
- Levski Sofia are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions, winning six and drawing four.
- Levski Sofia have won all four of their home matches this season.
- Kairat Almaty have conceded only one goal across their last three Champions League qualifying matches.
Levski Sofia vs Kairat Almaty preview: Bulgarian champions aiming to protect home record
Levski Sofia vs Kairat Almaty — Tale of the Tape
| Levski Sofia | vs | Kairat Almaty |
|---|---|---|
| 1st in First League | Position | 1st in Kazakhstan Premier League |
| 9 | Points | 45 |
| 7 | Goals For | 39 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 14 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 10 |
| 1st | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
Levski Sofia have carried their domestic title-winning momentum into the new season and now stand just two rounds away from a historic place in the Champions League league phase.
Julio Velazquez's men began their European campaign with a convincing 5-1 aggregate victory over Borac Banja Luka before overcoming Universitatea Craiova in a far tighter contest.
After securing a narrow first-leg advantage in Sofia, Levski produced a resilient performance in Romania to earn a 2-2 draw and complete a 3-2 aggregate success.
Their excellent European results have been matched by an outstanding start in the Bulgarian league, with victories over Dunav Ruse, Lokomotiv Sofia and Septemvri Sofia leaving the champions with maximum points.
Levski will also draw confidence from their growing consistency, having stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions ahead of another significant European test.
Kairat Almaty arrive in Bulgaria with equally strong momentum and the experience of last season's memorable Champions League campaign.
The Kazakh champions comfortably dispatched Sutjeska in the opening qualifying round before surviving a dramatic tie against Omonia Nicosia, eventually prevailing on penalties after the aggregate score finished 1-1.
Rafael Urazbakhtin's side have also continued to dominate domestically, collecting 45 points from 20 league matches while establishing one of the strongest defensive records in Kazakhstan.
Their return of nine victories from the last 10 matches highlights the confidence within the squad, even though their only defeat during that spell came away to Omonia before they recovered to advance.
Having already experienced the demands of Champions League football at the highest qualifying level, Kairat will believe they have the organisation and tactical discipline to keep this tie firmly alive before next week's decisive second leg.
Levski Sofia vs Kairat Almaty form guide & betting tips
| Levski Sofia | vs | Kairat Almaty |
|---|---|---|
W
W
W
D
W
|
Form | W
W
L
W
W
|
| 10 | Goals For | 8 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 3 |
W
W
D
|
UCL Qualification | W
L
W
|
Whispers predicts: Levski Sofia 1-0 Kairat Almaty
Levski Sofia have been extremely reliable on home soil throughout the opening weeks of the campaign, and another disciplined performance should give them a slight edge in what promises to be a closely contested first leg.
Kairat Almaty possess valuable European experience and rarely concede clear opportunities, so this is unlikely to become an open contest. Under 2.5 goals is available at 8/11 (1.73), while Levski Sofia are priced at 113/20 (1.65) to win.
> First half under 1.5 goals at 1/3 (1.33) | Likelihood: Likely
> Match result – Levski Sofia to win at 13/20 (1.65) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 8/11 (1.73) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score – Levski Sofia 1-0 Kairat Almaty at 5/1 (6.00) | Likelihood: Outsider