Qarabag defies the odds once again

So, the first leg of the Conference League play-off round took place in Enschede, the Netherlands, where Azerbaijani club Qarabag faced local side Twente.

Interestingly, history repeated itself yesterday: once again, Qarabag faced a Dutch opponent in the play-off round, although this time the stage was the Conference League.

The two clubs have a history dating back 12 years. Qarabag and Twente met in the Europa League play-offs, with the Azerbaijani side advancing after a 0-0 home draw and a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands. That result saw Qarabag reach the group stage of a European competition for the first time in the club’s history.

The teams had first crossed paths in 2009. Twente won the first leg 3-1 in the Netherlands, while the return match in Azerbaijan ended in a goalless draw.

The third chapter of this rivalry unfolded in front of nearly 30,000 Twente fans, who packed De Grolsch Veste and witnessed a remarkable result.

Qarabag had gone through a major squad overhaul during the spring and summer, losing more than half of its first-team players. Among those who left were homegrown talents Toral Bayramov and Nariman Akhundzada, as well as star foreign players Abdullah Zoubir and Camilo Duran. Despite the upheaval, Qarabag produced a stunning performance to beat Twente on their home turf.

Kady’s 52nd-minute strike proved to be the decisive moment of the game. Much of the credit goes to Qarabag’s defence, led by goalkeeper Martin Zlomislic, who is increasingly establishing himself as the club’s first-choice keeper ahead of Mateusz Kochalski.

Twente struggled to find their rhythm after falling behind. The Dutch side managed 20 shots, but only six were on target. Qarabag, by contrast, had almost three times fewer attempts but made their chances count.

The job, however, is far from done. Qarabag must stay focused and avoid complacency ahead of the second leg in Baku. Head coach Gurban Gurbanov stressed the same point at the post-match press conference:

“We won, but this is only the first half of the tie. The second half will be in Baku, where we need to play with greater focus and discipline to secure victory on aggregate.”

Gurbanov’s message is hard to argue with. Qarabag have taken an important step forward, but the tie is still wide open. Now, all eyes turn to the second leg in Baku.

By Vugar Vugarli, exclusively for Caliber.Az