For the second year running Kazakhstani champions FK Aktobe face Israeli counterparts in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. Maccabi Haifa FC, who went on to reach the group stage, proved their undoing last time out and coach Vladimir Mukhanov knows his side will be battling the odds again when they meet Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC on Wednesday.

"We have different opponent but the conditions are the same," he said. "Have you ever been to a sauna? It's much like that in Israel during the summer. It's very hot, and the humidity is really high. Of course the locals are used to the weather, but it's quite hard for others to adapt."

Aktobe appeared to be having little difficulty acclimatising on their last visit, racing into a 3-0 second-leg lead inside 15 minutes following a goalless home draw. Maccabi, though, moved up the gears to edge a 4-3 victory which left their visitors in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. There they fell to an 8-3 aggregate defeat by SV Werder Bremen.

Aktobe's latest European campaign has been far from plain sailing too. Their 3-1 second qualifying round win against FC Olimpi Rustavi was only confirmed by Murat Tleshev's last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw in the return match in Georgia. In contrast, Hapoel thrashed FK Željezničar 6-0 on aggregate. Underdogs they may be, but for Sergei Strukov, a veteran of last season's Israeli jaunt, an upset could yet be in prospect. "Aktobe have everything to gain," he said. "Of course it's not the best draw, but you have to beat strong teams to get to the group stage. Cyprus had a team in the group stage [APOEL FC], so why can't Kazakhstan?"

Mukhanov echoed that positive tone. "We lost to Maccabi for many reasons – climate, lack of luck, different level of football," he said. "Hapoel look stronger now, but we are a dark horse. We have a chance to qualify for the next round. Football is loved all around the world because sometimes it's not the strongest team that celebrates victory." Aktobe host Hapoel at the Tcentralny stadium on Wednesday before travelling to Tel Aviv on 3 August.