We recap another weekend of action in the flagship competition.
Kairat extend winning streak to 12 matches
The Almaty side secured a 5:1 victory in Pavlodar and maintained their perfect record, collecting all 36 points available.
However, the match began somewhat nervously for the Black and Yellows. In the 17th minute, Irtysh defender Aleksandr Shpiyev put the hosts ahead.
The response came quickly – Daulet Orynbasar equalised in the 29th minute before Roman Chernomorets gave Kairat the lead shortly before half-time. The margin became emphatic late on: Orynbasar converted a penalty in the 88th minute, completed his hat-trick two minutes later, and substitute Aldiyar Kusaiyn added the final goal in stoppage time.
The shooting statistics clearly illustrate the course of the match: Kairat registered 36 attempts to Irtysh’s three, with 14 shots on target compared to two. The expected-goals figures stood at 6.7 to 0.3. It is still worth remembering that Irtysh were the team who opened the scoring.
Orynbasar now leads the goalscoring charts with 13 goals, overtaking Shakhter’s Rasul Akimov. Irtysh remain bottom of the table, with their 39 goals conceded representing the worst defensive record in the league. Seventeen of those goals came in their two meetings with Kairat.
A shock in the capital
The biggest surprise of the round came at Air Arena, where Astana suffered a 5:1 home defeat to Caspiy.
The turning point arrived shortly before half-time. In the 42nd minute, Astana defender Mansur Alikhan received his second yellow card for stopping a promising attack. Ramazan Amangeldiyev opened the scoring just one minute later.
The capital side played the entire second half with ten men and conceded three more goals. Amaniyaz Oryngaliyev, Magzum Zholaman and Amangeldiyev again found the net. Khaidar Togimov scored Astana’s consolation goal in the 80th minute before Caspiy defender Rakhat Dzhiyenbayev completed the scoring.
The brace marked Amangeldiyev’s first two goals of the season. It was Caspiy’s biggest victory of the campaign and also their first away win.
Another interesting detail is that Caspiy and Kairat are the only teams in the competition yet to record a draw.
Shakhter rescue a point in stoppage time
The Karaganda side came close to dropping all three points in Taraz. Daniyar Baimakhan gave the hosts the lead in the 11th minute, and the score remained unchanged until second-half stoppage time, when Damir Yusupbekov’s strike earned the Miners a 1:1 draw. It was the midfielder’s first goal of the season.
Shakhter retained second place with 27 points, but the gap to Kairat has increased to nine. Taraz are now winless in seven consecutive matches and sit 11th with nine points.
Ordabasy break down Aktobe late on
The Shymkent side recorded their fourth consecutive victory by claiming a 2:1 away win in Aktobe.
The match began disastrously for the visitors. In the 26th minute, Ordabasy defender Mukhit Abdulakhmed turned the ball into his own net. However, the hosts were reduced to ten men two minutes later when Ivan Kovtun received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge.
Ordabasy struggled to make their numerical advantage count for much of the match, but Kudiret Botabek finally equalised in the 82nd minute. Late on, the visitors were awarded a penalty, which Adilbek Turdakh successfully converted.
Ordabasy are firmly established in third place with 23 points. Aktobe sit sixth with an unusual record of four wins, four draws and four defeats.
One shot on target, three points
KFF Academy defeated Zhas Kyran 1:0. Artem Shalygin scored the only goal in the 70th minute, opening his account for the season.
The match statistics may come as a surprise. The hosts registered 18 attempts, including five on target, while the visitors managed just eight shots and only one on target. That single effort was enough to secure all three points.
After half-time, 14-year-old Yevgeniy Kravtsov came on in goal for KFF Academy. It was his debut in the flagship competition, and he completed 45 clean-sheet minutes while making two saves.
Zhas Kyran are winless in five consecutive rounds and have dropped to fifth place. KFF Academy sit eighth with 14 points, level with Astana, who are placed higher due to their victory in the head-to-head meeting.
A narrow victory for Tobyl
The hosts defeated Kaisar 2:1 in Kostanay.
Captain Islam Zhantasov opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Wolves forward Madi Zhenisuly equalised towards the end of the first half, but Nazar Zakharchenko struck the decisive goal in the 59th minute.
Kaisar recorded more shots on target than Tobyl, seven to four, but still ended the match empty-handed.
Tobyl sit fourth with 18 points. The Kostanay side have the least prolific attack in the competition, with only 12 goals scored, but boast the third-best defence behind Kairat and Shakhter, having conceded 11.
Top scorer after Matchweek 12: Daulet Orynbasar (Kairat, 13 goals).
Top assist providers after Matchweek 12: Adilbek Turdakh (Ordabasy), Ayan Amanzhulov (Aktobe) and Amandyk Khamidullin (Astana) – 5 assists each.
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