The opening qualifying rou nd of the European club competitions painted an almost perfect picture for Azerbaijani football.
As reported by Idman.biz, Sabah defeated Welsh champions The New Saints twice to advance 4-1 on aggregate, Qarabag brushed aside Iceland's Vestri with a commanding 6-0 aggregate score, while Zira overwhelmed Georgia's Torpedo Kutaisi by the same margin. Six matches, six victories. Such a flawless start inevitably raised expectations, but the next round has already served as a reminder that European qualifying rarely follows the most optimistic script.
Sabah became the only Azerbaijani club to record a victory this week. However, their 1-0 home win over KuPS is hardly enough to leave the team feeling comfortable ahead of the trip to Finland. Veljko Simic scored the only goal in first-half stoppage time, but the hosts were unable to build on their advantage. Sabah completed the minimum task by winning and keeping a clean sheet, yet failed to create the cushion that would have allowed them to travel to Kuopio without concern.
Even more questions surrounded Qarabag. The Agdam club entered its home clash with CSKA Sofia as the clear favourite, a view shared not only by Azerbaijani supporters but also by people familiar with both teams. Former Qarabag midfielder Simeon Slavchev compared Gurban Gurbanov's side to Manchester City, Sporting CP and Benfica, warning that CSKA would lose if they tried to match Qarabag in an open game. At the same time, the Bulgarian noted that a 0-0 draw would be an excellent result for the Sofia club. That is exactly what CSKA achieved, denying Qarabag the freedom they usually enjoy and keeping a clean sheet.
Far more was expected from a team with Qarabag's European pedigree, especially at home. The Azerbaijani champions struggled to break down a disciplined defensive setup, while numerous substitutions after the break failed to change the flow of the match. Even so, the draw does not yet leave Qarabag in a critical situation. The club has overcome similar scenarios before. In 2017, Qarabag drew 0-0 at home against Sheriff before winning 2-1 in Tiraspol. However, past successes guarantee nothing, and the return leg in Sofia will demand much greater speed, creativity and precision.
The biggest blow of the week was suffered by Neftchi. The Baku side raced into a 2-0 lead against Dinamo Minsk inside the opening nine minutes thanks to a goal from Emin Mahmudov and an own goal by the visitors. It looked like the perfect start to their European campaign. Instead, those early goals appeared to leave the hosts without a clear plan. Neftchi gradually lost control of the game, allowing Dinamo to turn the match around with four unanswered goals in the 36th, 47th, 57th and 77th minutes. The final 4-2 defeat was arguably the greatest disappointment of the week for Azerbaijani football.
Such a collapse cannot simply be explained away by a lack of match fitness or the fact that the season has only just begun. A team aiming for meaningful success in Europe cannot afford to squander a two-goal home advantage so passively. After conceding once, Neftchi effectively fell apart, losing their organisation, confidence and control, while allowing their opponents to dictate the game until the final whistle.
Now the Baku club must overturn a two-goal deficit in the return leg, but the biggest concern is not the scoreline itself. After such a performance, doubts arise not only about Neftchi's chances of progressing but also about the team's ability to cope with pressure at European level.
Against that backdrop, Zira's narrow 1-0 defeat away to Paide appears far less alarming. Rashad Sadygov's side still have every chance of turning the tie around at home. A one-goal deficit is entirely recoverable, especially if Zira rediscover the discipline and efficiency that helped them beat Torpedo Kutaisi 3-0 in both matches of the previous round. Even so, the opening round guarantees nothing. Their superiority now has to be proved all over again.
Overall, the second qualifying round has not erased the positive impression created by Azerbaijani clubs at the start of the campaign, but it has certainly provided a more realistic perspective. Sabah, Qarabag and Zira all remain in strong, or at least workable, positions to progress. Neftchi, meanwhile, find themselves in a far more difficult situation, largely of their own making.
The first week brought euphoria. The second brought everyone back to reality. In European competition, being labelled favorites, carrying a famous name or winning comfortably a week earlier provides no advantage. Every new match demands that teams earn the right to keep going.
