LONDON: FC Astana did not exist when Manchester United became European champions for the third time in 2008.

The two teams have very different pedigrees but are chasing the same goal on Wednesday — qualification for the group stage of the Champions League.

Formed only six years ago, Astana will look to become the first team from Kazakhstan to advance to Europe’s top level when they defend a 1-0 lead in the second leg of their playoff with APOEL Nicosia.

For United, things look much more comfortable as they seek a return to the Champions League proper after missing out last season.

The English side beat Club Bruges 3-1 in the first leg at Old Trafford, with Marouane Fellaini earning Louis van Gaal’s men breathing space by scoring the third goal in injury time.

Italy’s Lazio may have slightly more to do to secure a place in the group stages as they defend a one-goal lead at Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov travel to Partizan Belgrade also with a 1-0 lead to defend.

Elsewhere, Sporting Lisbon take a 2-1 lead to Russia against CSKA Moscow in the hope of securing a place in the main draw for the second successive season.

Astana, a team backed by Kazakhstan’s sovereign-wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna and in just its third season in European competition, are 90 minutes from making history.

The will travel around 3,500 kilometres, a relatively short trip by their European standards, for their return leg against Cypriot champions APOEL, surprise quarter-finalists in 2011/12.

“Astana’s victory doesn’t mean they have more of a chance of going through than we do,” said APOEL coach Domingos Paciencia. “We still have the game at home, where we will have our fans and good support.”

If Astana qualify, it could create logistical problems for their group stage opponents who would have to fly several thousand kilometres across five or six time zones to Central Asia for a midweek game.

Missing out on the group stage for a second season running would be unthinkable for United with the English Premier League giants having a two-goal lead to take to Belgium.

United are in good shape in Europe and have seven points from a possible nine to start the Premier League. So why the concern at Old Trafford?

The shouts of “attack, attack, attack” that are regularly heard at the so-called Theatre of Dreams may explain it.

United have scored two goals in three league games so far, one of them being an own goal. Wayne Rooney is without a competitive goal in 858 minutes and Javier Hernandez, not wanted by Van Gaal last season, is currently the only genuine back-up striker for Rooney.

United relied on two goals out of nothing from Memphis Depay to recover from going 1-0 down early against Bruges last week, while Fellaini’s last-gasp header came when the Belgians were down to 10 men.

Van Gaal has said United don’t need another striker but the team looks way short of options if it wants to compete the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

First, United need to finish the job against Bruges, Europa League quarter-finalists last season and the Belgian league runners-up.

“I don’t think that we have a danger,” Van Gaal said about complacency, “because the players shall know that Bruges are a very difficult club to beat.”

Lazio are looking to reach the Champions League group stage after an eight-year absence and ensure there will be three Italian representatives.

Keita Balde Diao’s second-half winner at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was the difference between the two sides last week, but Leverkusen are seasoned campaigners who have made the round of 16 in three of the last four seasons and were only edged out on penalties by 2014 runners-up Atletico Madrid at that stage last campaign.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2015

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