Kairat One Step Away from the Title: Preview of Matchweek 18 in the Freedom QJ League

Caspiy – Tobol: can the Aktau side avoid finishing last?

The clash of two outsiders may turn out to be one of Caspiy’s last chances to climb off the bottom of the table before the season ends. If the Aktau team lose to the Kostanay side, the gap between them will stretch to seven points with four rounds to go. The situation for Caspiy would get even worse if Kaisar manage to take points off Astana.

An intriguing pattern: over their last five matches, Tobol have alternated between wins and losses. Their previous game ended in defeat against Kairat – what will the weekend bring this time?

Taraz – Zhas Kyran: will the hosts help their rivals?

Zhas Kyran, having squandered their lead over the chasing pack, remain second in the standings. However, other teams in the top six are still in the race for silver medals. Taraz’s chances of climbing higher than seventh are nearly gone, but the risk of slipping further down is still very real.

In the first half, the Almaty side narrowly defeated Askar Kushikbayev’s team – now Taraz will play at home and will be highly motivated to take revenge.

Kairat – Ordabasy: will the “yellow-blacks” be crowned champions this week?

The Shymkent side are outsiders in the medal race, trailing third-placed Shakhtyor by four points. Meanwhile, Kanat Musatayev’s men are in excellent form, winning four games in a row. Could this be the team that finally puts up a fight against Kairat?

For the Almaty club, this game is equally crucial. If Kairat win, they will secure the championship title early. A defeat, coupled with a Zhas Kyran victory, would delay the “yellow-blacks’” third straight triumph.

Aktobe – Atyrau: who will come out on top?

The upcoming clash of two western sides is a meeting of neighbors in the standings.

Neither team is in good shape: the “red-whites” are on a four-match losing streak, while Atyrau have picked up just one point in the same stretch – a draw with Kaisar. What will happen in this matchup? We’ll find out soon.

Kaisar – Astana: the visitors have no right to slip up

For the capital’s club, winning in Kyzylorda is vital to avoid losing ground in the medal race. This is especially important because Astana’s direct rivals – Shakhtyor and Irtysh – face each other this round.

It’s worth remembering that the “Wolves” are not the easiest opponents. Zhas Kyran, Ordabasy, and Irtysh have all dropped points against them. On top of that, in the first round Kaisar suffered a crushing 0–10 defeat to Astana – so they will surely be determined to take revenge.

Irtysh – Shakhtyor: can Pavlodar keep their medal hopes alive?

In this game, the Karaganda club will be defending their place in the top three not only against Irtysh but also other contenders. Yet it’s the fate of the Pavlodar side that could largely be decided in this round: like Ordabasy, they sit on 28 points, while Shakhtyor have 32. A victory for the “Miners” would create a gap that Irtysh would hardly be able to make up in the remaining time.

It should be noted that Shakhtyor’s “joker,” Gleb Makridov, was included in the squad for the First League match against Zhetysay. Will he be able to make an impact in Pavlodar as well?