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Omonia Nicosia will look to take an early step towards the Champions League third qualifying round when they face Kairat Almaty at GSP Stadium on Wednesday.
The Cypriot champions enter the contest after winning the domestic title by a significant margin last season, while Kairat arrive in Cyprus after comfortably navigating past Sutjeska in the opening qualifying round.
With both sides carrying strong attacking form into the encounter, an entertaining first-leg battle could be on the cards as they look to gain an early advantage.
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.
Omonia vs. Kairat key stats
- Kairat Almaty are unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions.
- Omonia have avoided defeat in their last 17 matches across competitive fixtures and friendlies.
- Both previous meetings between the two clubs ended in draws.
- Omonia have seen both teams score in four of their last five matches across all competitions.
Omonia vs. Kairat preview: Goals expected in Nicosia
Omonia vs Kairat — Tale of the Tape
| Omonia | vs | Kairat |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Position | 2nd (Kazakhstan Premier League) |
| N/A | Points | 42 |
| N/A | Goals For | 37 |
| N/A | Goals Against | 13 |
| N/A | Clean Sheets | 9 |
| N/A | Home / Away Rank | 1st |
Omonia head into their European opener with confidence after ending a five-year wait for domestic success last season, when they lifted the Cypriot First Division title by finishing 18 points ahead of AEK Larnaca.
However, the Nicosia outfit are still searching for a first appearance in the Champions League main stage after previous attempts have fallen short.
Henning Berg's side have used the summer period to maintain their rhythm, remaining unbeaten in four warm-up fixtures with two victories and two draws.
Their latest outing produced a 2-1 win over Panetolikos, where new arrival Andronikos Kakoullis made an immediate impact by scoring twice after Kosta Aleksic had put the visitors ahead before the break.
Omonia will now look to carry that confidence into a European campaign where they have reached the Conference League league phase in each of the previous two seasons.
Kairat Almaty, meanwhile, have already negotiated one hurdle in their pursuit of consecutive Champions League league phase appearances after comfortably eliminating Sutjeska.
A 2-1 home victory in the first leg was followed by a 2-0 away success in Montenegro, securing a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
The Kazakh champions have also continued their strong form domestically, defeating Atyrau 3-1 at the weekend after racing into a three-goal lead before half-time.
That result kept Rafael Urazbakhtin's team second in the Kazakh Premier League standings, one point behind leaders Ordabassy.
With Kairat having produced seven consecutive victories while consistently finding the net, they will head to Cyprus believing they can test an Omonia side that has enjoyed an excellent unbeaten sequence but has not always been impenetrable defensively.
Omonia vs. Kairat form guide & betting tips
| Omonia (Pre-season friendlies) | vs | Kairat |
|---|---|---|
W
D
D
W
|
Form |
W
W
W
W
W
|
| 6 | Goals For | 15 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 3 |
N/A |
Champions League qualifiers |
W
W
|
Whispers predicts: Omonia 2-2 Kairat
The bookmakers have priced Over 2.5 goals at 21/20 (2.05), and that market looks appealing considering Kairat's recent attacking output. The visitors have regularly been involved in high-scoring encounters, while Omonia have also shown they possess enough quality in the final third to contribute to an entertaining contest.
Both Teams To Score – Yes is available at 1/1 (2.00) and provides another attractive option. Omonia have consistently found the net in recent months, but Kairat's attacking momentum suggests they should also have opportunities to register on the scoresheet.
A draw is priced at 5/2 (3.50), with neither side appearing likely to take unnecessary risks in the opening leg. Both clubs are unbeaten in their recent stretches and their previous two meetings ended level, suggesting another closely fought contest could unfold.
The correct-score market points towards a 2-2 draw at 18/1 (19.00). Both teams have shown excellent attacking numbers heading into this tie, making a high-scoring stalemate a realistic outcome.
> Over 2.5 goals at 21/20 (2.05) | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score – Yes at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result – Draw at 5/2 (3.50) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: Omonia 2-2 Kairat Almaty at 18/1 (19.00) | Likelihood: Outsider