Ruslan Rotan will lead "Polesye" into their Conference League qualification semi-final against Hungarian side "Paksh" on August 7, with bookmakers giving both teams an equal 50/50 chance of advancing to the next round. The Ukrainian club's new head coach faces his first European test after a promising start to the domestic season.
"We've had a strong pre-season with seven friendlies and started well in the championship. Now we need to prove ourselves in Europe," Rotan might say ahead of this crucial fixture.
The Ukrainian side, who finished fourth in last season's domestic league, showed their resilience in the previous qualification round. After surprisingly losing 1-2 at home to Andorran team Santa Coloma, "Polesye" turned things around with an impressive 4-1 away victory to advance.
"Paksh", bronze medalists in the Hungarian championship last season, bring their own interesting dynamic to the matchup. They were the highest-scoring team in Hungary's previous campaign, but their defensive frailties remain evident. Their recent domestic results – a 3-3 draw with Gyor and a 5-1 win against Kisvarda (still conceding) – highlight both their attacking prowess and defensive vulnerabilities.
Interestingly, the Hungarian side began their European journey in the Europa League qualification but dropped down after losing to Romania's CFR Cluj. They narrowly overcame Slovenia's Maribor in the previous Conference League round.
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two clubs. Can "Polesye's" new tactical approach under Rotan overcome "Paksh's" attacking firepower? The return leg will ultimately decide who advances, but expect goals in this first encounter.
By the way, the match kicks off at 23:00 Astana time, an unusual timing that might affect both teams' preparations. With both sides showing defensive inconsistency but attacking promise, this could be one of the more entertaining fixtures of the qualification round.
