Seeking to preserve their perfect record in the Conference League, Chelsea travel to Kazakhstan to face Astana in their second-last league phase match at Orlalyq stadion on Thursday evening.

While the West Londoners are already guaranteed at least a last-16 playoff spot, the Yellow and Blues still have work to do to finish inside the top 24.

Chelsea are one of only two teams in this season’s Conference League – along with Polish side Legia Warsaw – to have picked up a maximum of 12 points from their opening four matches, scoring a competition-high 18 goals and conceding just three in the process.

The Blues managed to navigate their way past Gent (4-2), Panathinaikos (4-1) and FC Noah (6-0) before overcoming German side Heidenheim by a 2-0 scoreline a fortnight ago, through a record-breaking goal from Christopher Nkunku and a late strike from Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Unlike the Champions League and Europa League where eight matches are played in the newly-formed league phase, Conference League teams only have six games pencilled into their diaries, and Chelsea – sitting top of the 36-team table – can all but guarantee a top-eight finish if they beat Astana on Thursday, with just one game at home to Shamrock Rovers left to play.

Enzo Maresca’s side will be confident of success over Astana, as they have put together an eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions since losing 2-0 at Newcastle United in the EFL Cup at the end of October, winning each of their last five games by an aggregate score of 16-5.

Chelsea have won all of their last four away matches during this run, including last weekend’s eventful 4-3 victory over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, a result that has moved them up to second outright and within four points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Meanwhile, competing in the Conference League for the second successive year, Astana have struggled to build on their opening win against Backa Topola (1-0) in October, as they have since picked up just one point across their last three games.

Back-to-back defeats to The New Saints (2-0) and Pafos (1-0) were followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Vitoria Guimaraes a fortnight ago – their most recent competitive game played in any competition – with Branimir Kalaica’s first-half opener cancelled out by an 89th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

Two points dropped at such a late stage in the game came as a blow to Grigori Babayan’s side, but they remain in contention to secure a spot in the knockout rounds as they sit 23rd in the 36-team table, just inside the playoff spots through goal difference, while they are five points behind the top eight.

Babayan has acknowledged that “the excitement is crazy” ahead of Astana’s home encounter with Premier League giants Chelsea, and although they enter Thursday’s contest as major underdogs, they have reason to be optimistic of securing a positive result.

Indeed, Astana – who ended their domestic season finishing just one point behind Kazakhstan Premier League title winners Kairat – are enjoying a 13-game unbeaten home run across all competitions, and it includes four wins and one draw across five Conference League matches (including qualifiers).

Astana vs. Chelsea Head to head

This will be the first meeting between these two teams.

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