Wednesday 16/07/2014, 21:00, Champions League Qualifiers, Dinamo Tbilisi vs Aktobe
Dinamo Tbilisi vs Aktobe Preview
One year ago, Aktobe took the football community by surprise when they won consecutive games in the qualifying campaign. The team from Kazakhstan will try to replicate that performance in the Champions League qualifiers, but they were pit against a tough opponent in the opening round. Dinamo Tbilisi knows how to take advantage of games played at home and have achieved a remarkable number of narrow margin victories in front of their fans.
Dinamo Tbilisi vs Aktobe Odds
At Bet365
Dinamo Tbilisi 1.75, Draw 3.50, Aktobe 4.20
Dinamo Tbilisi vs Aktobe Tips
Losing the first leg would have catastrophic effects and coach Bilek is fully aware of the importance of claiming all three points at Tbilisi. He needs a formidable offensive team, with Xisco Munoz being by far the most prolific goal scorer in the Georgian championship. He managed to score 19 goals in 28 games and he will spearhead the offensive, joined up front by Vouho and Martavaladze.
Dinamo Tbilisi strikers bring loads of experience to the table, with the only problem being that the average age of offensive players revolves around 30. It is unlikely for this offensive trident to play in the same formation for 90 min., but against the permeable defenses of Aktobe, that might not be necessary.
Since the domestic championship came to an end two months ago, Dinamo Tbilisi got busy with friendly games and also won the Cup in the process. The four-game winning streak was abruptly ended by Club Brugge who managed to earn a rare victory on the road. The visitors scored twice but the hosts sent more shots towards their net and the match could've easily ended in a draw.
Aktobe had a hard time keeping a clean sheet lately, with opponents scoring at least once in the last seven matches. It all culminated with the 7-1 defeat suffered at the hands of runner-up Kairat, with the leaders saving face in the last match against lowly Tobol.
Key Facts
- Both teams won the majority of points in front of their fans and were relatively ineffective on the road
- Key players left Aktobe during the season break, so the current team is nothing like the squad that achieved stunning results last year.
Dinamo Tbilisi vs Aktobe Prediction
The odds have been constantly dropping and at the time of writing, the most generous value is awarded by Bet365. The bookmaker credits the hosts with the first chance to win and punters can still benefit from odds of 1.75 if they back Dinamo Tbilisi to win outright. Aktobe would gladly settle for a draw, hoping to solve the issue of qualification in the return leg one week from now.
Bet: Dinamo Tbilisi @ 1.75 with Bet365
