With 11 of Astana’s last 12 home games in all competitions producing over 2.5 match goals, there should be plenty of entertainment forthcoming in this UEFA Europa League (UEL) clash. However, their status as outsiders could be justified emphatically, with their last four competitive home games (W2, L2) seeing the victor win both halves.
Despite boasting a respectably level all-time UEL group stage home record (W4, D3, L4), Astana face the 2017 trophy winners having lost each of their last five European outings. They scored just once across that whole sequence, amongst which is the 1-0 defeat in the reverse H2H, after a goalless first half.
Manchester United’s last UEL outing extended their unbeaten run in this competition to 15 matches (W11, D4). Each of their last five UEL matches (W4, D1) has seen the opposition fail to score, and relevantly, each of their six prior UEL matches won on foreign soil has yielded a clean sheet.
