Preview: Levski Sofia vs Kairat - prediction, team news, lineups

Levski Sofia welcome Kairat to the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium on Tuesday for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Both sides have come through two qualifying rounds to reach this stage, with the Bulgarian champions looking to extend their unbeaten run, while the reigning Kazakh champions arrive in Sofia in impressive domestic and European form.

Match preview

Levski have made an encouraging start to the new campaign, combining strong domestic form with steady progress in Europe as they chase a first-ever appearance in the Champions League league phase.

Julio Velazquez's side began their qualifying journey with a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Borac Banja Luka before overcoming Universitatea Craiova 3-2 on aggregate, taking a 1-0 advantage into Romania before securing qualification with a hard-fought 2-2 draw away from home.

Those results have extended Levski's unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions, with six wins and four draws, while they have also gone four consecutive Champions League qualifying matches without defeat for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.

Domestically, the Bulgarian champions have opened the Parva Liga season with consecutive victories, beating Dunav Ruse 2-1 before recording a 2-0 success away to Lokomotiv Sofia and a 3-0 win over Septemvri Sofia, leaving them top of the table with nine points.

Levski will also take confidence from their home form, having won each of their four matches at the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, where an intimidating atmosphere has often proved decisive in European ties.

This will be the first competitive meeting between the clubs, though Levski have previously faced Kazakh opposition four times, winning two, drawing one and losing one, while Kairat have never before taken on Bulgarian opposition.

Kairat Almaty, though, travel to Bulgaria in equally impressive form under Rafael Urazbakhtin this season.

The Kazakh champions currently lead their domestic league with 45 points from 20 matches, having recorded 13 wins, six draws and just one defeat while maintaining one of the division's strongest defensive records.

Their route to the third qualifying round has been far from straightforward, beginning with a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory over Sutjeska before edging past Omonia Nicosia on penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Kairat have won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with their only defeat during that run coming in the away leg against Omonia before recovering to progress from the tie on penalties.

Having become the first Kazakh club to reach the Champions League league phase last season, Urazbakhtin's side possess valuable experience at this level, with their disciplined defensive structure and quick transitions making them awkward opponents for any team.

Levski Sofia Champions League form:

Levski Sofia form (all competitions):

Kairat Champions League form:

Kairat form (all competitions):

Team News

Levski are expected to have a near full-strength squad available, with Velazquez unlikely to make many alterations after successive league victories and qualification over Universitatea Craiova.

The hosts are expected to rely on their established attacking trio, with Everton Bala set to lead the line after scoring twice and providing one assist in this season's Champions League qualifiers, while Armstrong Oko-Flex and Reinaldo should provide support from the flanks.

Kairat also appear to have no fresh injury concerns following their dramatic victory over Omonia in the penalty shootout and their latest league fixture.

Brazilian forward Edmilson scored Kairat's only goal of the tie against Omonia after coming off the bench in the second leg and is pushing for a place in the starting XI, while Marc Gual is expected to spearhead the attack once again.

Levski Sofia possible starting lineup:

Vutsov; Neves, Dimitrov, Serafimov, Maicon; Bouras, Serginho, Moubarik; Reinaldo, Oko-Flex, Bala

Kairat possible starting lineup:

Anarbekov; Mrynskiy, Africo, Martynovich, Machado; Oksanen, Mendonsa; Jukkola, Kasabulat, Kurgin; Gual

We say: Levski Sofia 1-1 Kairat

This has all the makings of a tightly contested first leg between two sides enjoying excellent form and carrying plenty of confidence into the tie.

Levski's formidable home record and impressive unbeaten run should ensure they remain competitive, but Kairat's European experience, defensive organisation and counter-attacking threat could prove enough to earn a valuable draw in Bulgaria, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of the return leg in Kazakhstan.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.