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Aktobe welcome Sepsi Sf Gheorghe to the Centralnyj Stadion for the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier on Thursday (August 17).
The tie is still firmly in the balance, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Romania last week. Elder Santana put Aktobe ahead in the 65th minute, but Roland Varga stepped off the bench to level matters with three minutes remaining.
Aktobe followed up with another 1-1 stalemate, at Aksu in the Kazakhstan Premier League. Goals in either half from Anderson Niangbo and Dinmukhamed Karaman ensured that the spoils were shared.
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Sepsi, meanwhile, booked their spot at this stage with a 6-0 aggregate win over CSKA Sofia in the second qualifying round. A 2-0 win in Bulgaria was followed by a 4-0 home win. Aktobe, meanwhile, qualified with a 5-3 aggregate win over Torpedo Kutaisi. A comfortable 4-1 win in Georgia helped mitigate a 2-1 defeat at home in the second leg.
The winner of this tie face either Bodo/Glimt or Pyunik in the playoff for a spot in the group stage.
Aktobe vs Sepsi Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Last week's clash was the first meeting between the two sides.
- Sepsi are on a ten-game unbeaten streak across competitions.
- Aktobe's last six games across competitions have had goals at both ends.
- Neither Aktobe nor Sepsi have qualified for the group stage of a European club competition before.
- Five of Sepsi's seven competitive games this season have produced more goals in the second half than the first.
Aktobe vs Sepsi Prediction
Aktobe failed to hold onto their lead in the first leg, leaving it all to play for in the second leg.
The hosts have been the more consistent side, with their ten-game unbeaten streak installing them as the slight favourites. However, Sepsi will also fancy their chances and will look to go one step further, having been eliminated at this stage of the qualifiers last season.
Expect the two sides to cancel each other once again in a low-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Aktobe 1-1 Sepsi
Aktobe vs Sepsi Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Highest scoring half: Second half
