FC Astana claimed a commanding 2-0 away victory against Zimbru Chisinau in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier on August 1, 2025. The Kazakh champions took a giant stride towards the next qualifying round with a professional performance in Moldova, putting one foot in the next stage. Astana's quality told in the second half as they broke the deadlock with a well-worked team move, before sealing the win with a late counter-attack goal in the final ten minutes. Zimbru struggled to create clear chances against a disciplined Astana defense, with their best opportunity coming from a first-half free-kick that was comfortably saved. The two-goal cushion and clean sheet make Astana strong favorites for the return leg on home soil, while Zimbru faces a monumental task to overturn the deficit in Kazakhstan.