Tobol Kostanay vs FC Basel Preview

Switzerland side FC Basel will travel to Kazakhstan this Thursday to face Tabol Kostanay in the second leg of their Europa Conference League group stage qualifier playoff.

The hosts come into this tie in a strong position after a 3-1 win over Basel in the first leg. Despite falling one goal behind in the first half of the game in Basel and missing a second-half penalty, Tobol overcame their hosts mainly due to a red card to Basel’s goalscorer Thierno Barry in the second half.

They secured the famous win courtesy of goals from Serges Derbe, Ramazan Orazov and Islam Chesnokov, with Basel’s Riccardo Calafiori also sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

So the hosts will return to Centralnyj Stadion in such a commanding position, desperate to seal the result and having won their last seven games at home, they will fancy their chances of winning this tie.

Meanwhile, Basel will be desperate to bounce back from their first-leg capitulation when they travel to Kostanay on Thursday.

As a team familiar with European football, they were the favourites to win this tie. But a lack of discipline in the first leg has put them in a difficult position, which requires a miracle to change, given that they are winless in their last three competitive away games (D1, L2).