National team, Kazakhstan await at the Astana Arena tomorrow for the last away match of the year

More than 5,500 kilometres from Mount Titano, Fabrizio Costantini’s National Team are ready for their final away trip of the season in their EURO 2024 Qualifying campaign. Tomorrow the Biancazzurri will take on hosts Kazakhstan in Astana, a side who, somewhat surprisingly, are firmly in contention for a place at next year’s European Championship finals in Germany. Having shaken off the effects of the time difference – five hours ahead of Italy – Costantini’s men held an initial training session yesterday, while today, on the eve of the match, they carried out their traditional final run-through at the Astana Arena, the venue for tomorrow’s game. The customary pre-match press conference was held today at the stadium in the Kazakh capital, in front of a sizeable group of journalists. Speaking, of course, was the coach of the Titani, Fabrizio Costantini: "We are facing a team whose main strength lies in their collective. It will be a difficult match because Kazakhstan are playing for qualification. They have had an excellent campaign and, step by step, they are becoming one of the best sides in Europe." In the most recent meeting on 17 June at the Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma, the Titani produced one of their best performances of the year – before eventually being edged out by Kazakhstan – but the San Marino coach knows this will be a different kind of game: "We will try to play our football, knowing that they will want to break the deadlock straight away. Let’s not forget that even Denmark were beaten here at the Astana Arena." Speaking of the Scandinavians – leaders of Group H alongside Slovenia on 19 points, with Kazakhstan just behind on 15 – Costantini neatly sidestepped some provocative questions from inquisitive Kazakh journalists and focused on tomorrow’s clash, starting again from the most recent match against Denmark: "We don’t usually score many goals, but we managed it in the last game, putting in a great performance. Tomorrow we will try to do the same, even though we know we will be facing a team who will give very little away, given how much is at stake for them." Tomorrow’s match at the Astana Arena is expected to be a sell-out, with thirty thousand fans ready to roar on the yellow-and-blues. Far from being intimidated, this actually fires up Lorenzo Capicchioni: "Playing in front of so many people – the midfielder said at the press conference – drives us on and motivates us. We are fully aware, though, that we are facing a very strong side. The group is in good shape and we are adapting as best we can to a time zone that is different from usual. We are ready for tomorrow’s match." The match at the Astana Arena between Kazakhstan and San Marino is scheduled for tomorrow at 21:00 local time – 16:00 in Italy – and will be available via live radio streaming on Titani.tv, as well as on television on San Marino RTV Sport (channel 93 on digital terrestrial).  

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