Azerbaijani clubs eclipse their European record after 13 years

Azerbaijani clubs have produced the most successful week in the country's European football history after all three representatives won their opening matches in the first qualifying round of UEFA competitions.

According to the Azerbaijan Professional Football League, cited by local media, it is only the second time Azerbaijani clubs have recorded three European victories in the same week, but the latest achievement has set a new benchmark for the nation's football.

In the UEFA Champions League, Sabah secured a 2-0 victory over Welsh champions The New Saints (TNS). Qarabağ followed with a commanding 3-0 win against Icelandic side Vestri in the UEFA Europa League, while Zira completed a flawless week by defeating Georgia's Torpedo Kutaisi 3-0 in the UEFA Conference League.

The previous instance of three Azerbaijani clubs winning European matches in the same week came in July 2013, when Inter Baku, Qarabağ, and Khazar Lankaran all progressed from the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League with victories over Mariehamn, Metallurg, and Sliema Wanderers, respectively.

This year's results surpassed that milestone in emphatic fashion. Whereas Azerbaijani clubs scored four goals without conceding in 2013, they netted eight goals across three matches this week while once again keeping clean sheets, underlining one of the strongest collective European performances in the country's football history.

By Aghakazim Guliyev