Kairat Almaty host Anderlecht in Europa League play-off first leg
Kairat Almaty and Anderlecht meet at Almaty Central Stadium on 20 August in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off tie, with a place in the competition's league phase at stake.
Kairat Almaty are the listed home side for the occasion, hosting a Belgian visitor with recent European pedigree as both clubs look to open their play-off campaign on the front foot.
Form guide
Anderlecht arrive on the back of a stronger run of results, having won four of their last five matches with only a single defeat in that sequence. Kairat Almaty, by contrast, have found form harder to sustain, winning two and losing two of their own last four outings.
That contrast in recent wins, four for Anderlecht against two for Kairat Almaty, gives the Belgian side the more settled recent record heading into the first leg, though a two-legged tie of this kind is rarely decided on form alone.
What is at stake
Victory or a strong result in the first leg would hand either side a significant advantage before the return fixture, with qualification for the Europa League league phase the ultimate prize on offer.