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Okay so last night I decided to predict Astana’s starting eleven for their big match against Chelsea. Seriously, I love diving into these lineup puzzles, especially for teams outside the big leagues. Gives me something interesting to think about over my evening coffee.
How I Started Digging
First thing I did was fire up my laptop. I remembered Astana had a pretty tough game just a few days before this one. Player fatigue is always a big question mark, right? So I hunted down their last starting lineup and the result, trying to spot who looked knackered or who got subbed off early. That usually gives a clue about who might get rested or start from the bench.
Next up, the injury list. This is where things get messy. Information isn’t always super clear. I checked a few usual sources – team feeds, local sports reports translated through the browser, nothing really official. I figured Jovancevic, their main guy up front, was probably still out. Gut feel more than anything concrete, you know?
Figuring Out The Shape
They usually play with this shape:
- Goalie: Pretty much always the same bloke.
- Four at the Back: Two center backs, two fullbacks pushing up a bit.
- Three in the Middle: One sitting deep, the other two buzzing around.
- Three up Top: Two wider guys cutting in, one trying to get on the end of stuff.
Against someone like Chelsea though? Away? I wondered if the gaffer might get cautious and add an extra guy in midfield. Maybe drop one of the forwards? Didn’t sound like his style, but you never know. The pre-match buzz didn’t mention any tactical shocks, so I stuck with their normal setup.
Making the Tough Calls
This is where the headache really started. Who plays where?
- Center Backs: Bunch of guys fit. Went for the pairing that looked the most solid recently. Hope they hold up!
- Right Back: Tough one. They’ve got one kid who’s really pacey but maybe a bit raw, and another who’s steady. Against Chelsea’s speed? Took a gamble on the speedster. Might regret that.
- Defensive Mid: Clear pick for me. The one guy who does the dirty work every week. Has to start.
- Attacking Mid: The tricky one! Two choices: the crafty playmaker or the engine who runs all day. Against Chelsea control? Felt they needed someone to create a bit of magic if they got the ball. Went with the playmaker, though I know he can vanish sometimes.
- Left Wing: Easy choice. Their star man, super fast and a real goal threat. If anyone causes Chelsea trouble, it’ll be him.
- Striker: With the main man probably out, it’s between two backups. One’s a bit taller, holds the ball up okay. The other is quicker, but maybe not as sharp in front of goal. Went with the taller guy, just hoping he can win some balls and bring others into play.
Putting the Guesswork Down
After all that coffee and head-scratching, here’s the mess I came up with for Astana:
- Goalie: Eric
- Right Back: Hovhannisyan
- Center Backs: Beisebekov, Kashken
- Left Back: Maccelli
- Defensive Mid: Dubra
- Central Mids: Tomasov, Darboe
- Left Wing: Abat
- Attacking Mid: Tagybergen
- Striker: Aimbetov
The bench looks weak, honestly. Not much firepower if they need to chase the game.
Feeling Less Than Certain
Honestly? I’m pretty sure I messed up one or two spots. That attacking midfield choice keeps bugging me – should I have gone with the runner instead? And is the kid at right back gonna get torn apart? Probably! Also, maybe the manager surprises everyone and starts that teenager on the wing? Who knows.
Predicting these lineups for teams you don’t see week in, week out is always a bit of a stab in the dark. You try to connect the dots with the news you can find, check what they did last time, and hope for the best. Still, it’s a fun way to spend an evening, even if the actual team sheet ends up making you look stupid! Let’s see what happens tonight.