Will Ordabasy extend their advantage? Matchweek 13 preview of the flagship competition

Ordabasy – Tobyl

The meeting between the teams sitting third and fourth in the standings is arguably Saturday’s most intriguing fixture.

Five points separate the hosts and visitors, meaning there is plenty at stake. The Shymkent side enter the match on a four-game winning streak, most recently beating Aktobe 2-1 away from home. The Kostanay team have also won their previous two matches, although both victories came by a one-goal margin.

Ordabasy forward Diyar Rakhimzhanov will miss the match. The attacker, who has recorded five goals and four assists, is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards. Tobyl will be without the suspended Riza Zhumagul. Both absences should be considered when selecting a Fantasy QJ League squad.

Tobyl won the reverse fixture 2-0 at home and remain one of only three teams to have beaten Ordabasy this season. Can they repeat that result?

Shakhter – Irtysh

The team sitting second hosts the side at the bottom of the standings. The Miners are nine points behind leaders Kairat and dropped two points in Taraz last weekend following a 1-1 draw. They can no longer afford further mistakes.

Shakhter’s main strength is their defence, which has conceded only eight goals in 12 matches. Irtysh are at the opposite end of the spectrum, having allowed 39 goals – currently the worst record in the competition. Pavlodar goalkeeper Arseniy Katyetov has made 71 saves, more than any other player in the league. However, the reverse fixture in Pavlodar was far from straightforward for the Miners, who earned a narrow 2-1 victory.

It is also worth noting that Irtysh have collected all eight of their points at home. They are yet to earn a single point away from home.

Kaspiy – Aktobe

Kaspiy, who sit tenth, remain the only team yet to draw a match this season, recording three wins and nine defeats. Their most recent victory was also their biggest, as they defeated Astana 5-1 away from home.

Aktobe, by contrast, have shared the points more often than any other team, drawing four of their 12 matches. The Red and Whites lost 2-1 at home to Ordabasy last weekend and currently occupy sixth place.

Four players will miss the match through suspension. Kaspiy will be without Akylbek Karzhaubay and Yersin Orantayev, while Roman Shapovalov and Ivan Kovtun are unavailable for Aktobe.

Kairat – Astana

The reigning champions continue their perfect season: 12 wins from 12 matches, 53 goals scored and only five conceded. Last weekend, the Yellow and Blacks thrashed Irtysh 5-1 in Pavlodar.

Astana will enter the match in a very different mood. Konstantin Chernyavsky’s side suffered a 5-1 home defeat against Kaspiy and sit seventh with a goal difference of -10.

Kairat won the reverse fixture 4-0. What should we expect from the second instalment of the two-capitals derby?

Taraz – Zhas Kyran

Neither team can boast particularly good form.

Zhas Kyran began the season with four consecutive victories, but have collected only one point from their last five matches and dropped to fifth place. Their latest setback was a 1-0 home defeat against KFF Academy.

Taraz are winless in seven consecutive matches. However, they held Shakhter to a 1-1 draw last weekend, and that result could provide the motivation needed for a turnaround.

The Almaty side won the reverse fixture 4-2. Another point of interest will be the duel between the teams’ leading scorers, Rasul Nurmanbay and Alan Lukanin, who have scored six goals each.

Kaisar – KFF Academy

The final fixture of the matchweek is a classic six-pointer: eighth-placed KFF Academy have 14 points, while ninth-placed Kaisar have 12.

The visitors enter the game on a high after beating Zhas Kyran 1-0, an important victory for the youngest team in the competition. Kaisar, meanwhile, lost 2-1 in Kostanay and continue to struggle defensively. They have conceded 34 goals, the second-worst record in the league.

Nevertheless, Kaisar won the reverse fixture convincingly, earning a 3-0 away victory. This time, however, the Wolves will be without defender Bakdaulet Mukhatay, who is suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards.

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