Astana on the brink, Lazio aim for CL

ASTANA are on the brink of becoming the first Kazakh team to reach the Champions League proper in this week’s playoff ties which promise to serve up the sort of drama and tension often missing from the group stage.

Astana will travel around 3,500km, a relatively short trip by their European standards, to defend a 1-0 lead today against Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia, surprise quarterfinalists in 2011/12.

“Astana’s victory doesn’t mean they have more of a chance of going through than we do,” said APOEL coach Domingos Paciencia. “We still have the game at home, where we will have our fans and good support.”

If Astana qualify, it could create logistical problems for their group stage opponents who would have to fly several thousand kilometres across five or six time zones to Central Asia for a midweek game.

Lazio, who visit Leverkusen and BATE Borisov, who travel to Partizan Belgrade, both have 1-0 leads to defend while Sporting Lisbon take a more vulnerable 2-1 advantage to CSKA Moscow today.

Coach Stefano Pioli will go to Germany without goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, strikers Filip Djordjevic and German veteran Miroslav Klose, who injured himself in the first leg win over Leverkusen.

Leverkusen boast a 100% record in surviving four out four previous Champions League playoffs and will rue the decision to disallow a potential crucial away goal in Rome.

New signing Charles Aranguiz is out with a torn Achilles’ tendon but coach Roger Schmidt is in confident mood after consecutive Bundesliga victories.

“We’re very strong at home and haven’t conceded a goal in months. And if Lazio score then we’ll just have to put three past them.” – Reuters / dpa