Azerbaijan's Qarabag will face Dutch side Twente in the UEFA Conference League play-off round. The winner of the two-legged tie will reach the league phase of the competition.
According to İdman.Biz, the first leg will take place on August 20 at De Grolsch Veste in Enschede, with the return leg scheduled for August 27 in Baku. The fact that the decisive match will be played at Qarabag's home ground could prove to be one of the key factors in the tie.
Twente are a dangerous but far from unbeatable opponent. In their European campaign this season, the Enschede side have already scored six goals in one evening and then conceded three after taking a 2-0 lead. Qarabag, by contrast, have kept five clean sheets but scored just twice in four matches against stronger opponents. This contrast captures the main intrigue of the tie.
Both teams began their European campaigns in Europa League qualifying. Qarabag earned their place after finishing second in the Azerbaijan Premier League, with Sabah winning the title for the first time. Twente finished fourth in the Eredivisie with 58 points, recording 15 wins, 13 draws and just six defeats, with a goal difference of 59:40.
Those figures provide a good indication of John van den Brom's side. Twente were difficult to beat last season, but their 13 draws prevented them from challenging for a top-three finish. The Dutch side often controlled matches and created plenty of chances, but did not always turn their dominance into results.
Qarabag began their qualifying campaign with two 3-0 wins over Icelandic side Vestri. They then played two goalless matches against CSKA Sofia before losing the tie on penalties. After dropping into the Conference League, Gurban Gurbanov's side lost 1-0 to Dynamo Kyiv in Poland before responding with a 2-0 victory in Baku. New signing Jaly Muaddib and Oleksii Kashchuk scored the goals.
That leaves Qarabag with eight goals scored and just one conceded in six European matches. The numbers look impressive but require some context: six of those goals came against Vestri. Against CSKA and Dynamo Kyiv, Qarabag scored only twice across 360 minutes. Their defence already looks ready for big matches, while their attacking play has yet to regain its previous fluency.
Twente were knocked out of the Europa League by Ferencvaros, losing 2-1 at home before drawing 2-2 in Budapest. In the second leg, the Dutch side played with a numerical advantage for a long period, enjoyed 67% possession and registered 21 shots, but created fewer genuinely dangerous opportunities than their opponents. They moved the ball too slowly and allowed the Hungarians to launch dangerous counter-attacks.
Twente then thrashed Slovakia's DAC 1904 6-0. The second leg became a formality, with Van den Brom rotating his squad as the Dutch side drew 3-3. They led 2-0 before conceding three times and were rescued by Marco Pjaca's stoppage-time goal.
Twente have scored 12 and conceded seven goals in their four European matches this season. Qarabag's record stands at 8:1 from six games. The Dutch side are considerably more dangerous in attack, but Qarabag look much more solid without the ball. Twente have also already started their domestic campaign, losing 1-0 to Heerenveen in the opening round of the Eredivisie.
Qarabag's biggest advantage is not any individual player, but their accumulated experience of major European matches.
Last season, the Aghdam side competed in the Champions League. In qualifying, they eliminated Shelbourne, Shkendija and Ferencvaros before beating Benfica 3-2 in Lisbon, Copenhagen 2-0 and Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 in the league phase, while also drawing 2-2 with Chelsea.
Qarabag finished 22nd with 10 points and became the first Azerbaijani club to reach the Champions League play-offs. Newcastle then ended their run with a painful 9-3 aggregate defeat. However, those matches against elite opponents gave Gurbanov's players experience that cannot be gained in the domestic league.
Twente did not play European football in the 2025/26 season. Their previous European campaign came in the 2024/25 Europa League, when they finished 23rd in the league phase, drew 1-1 with Manchester United and then lost 6-4 on aggregate to Bodo/Glimt. In terms of recent high-pressure matches, therefore, the advantage lies with Qarabag.
The two sides know each other well. They have already met twice, both times in the Europa League play-off round.
In 2009, Twente won 3-1 in Enschede. Vugar Nadirov opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but Bryan Ruiz scored twice before Douglas added another. The return leg in Baku ended 0-0, sending the Dutch side through. It was one of the strongest Twente teams in the club's history, with the side going on to win the Dutch title that season.
Five years later, the story changed. After a goalless draw in Baku, Twente took the lead at home through Luc Castaignos, but Muarem Muarem equalised to make it 1-1. Qarabag progressed under the away-goals rule then in effect, reaching the Europa League group stage for the first time in their history.
The teams have played four competitive matches in total. Twente have one win, while three have ended in draws, with the Dutch side holding a 4-2 advantage on aggregate goals. In the summer of 2025, the sides also played two friendlies: Qarabag won the first 3-2, while Twente won the second 2-1.
There is also a separate historical connection involving Vugar Javadov. He played for Qarabag in the 2009 tie and impressed the Dutch club enough to join Twente in January 2010. Javadov was part of Steve McClaren's title-winning squad, although injuries prevented him from making an official first-team appearance.
In autumn 2025, Javadov returned to Enschede as a coach. As part of his UEFA Pro coaching course, the coach of Sumgayit's reserve team observed training sessions involving Twente's first team and academy and spoke with John van den Brom and club staff. It was a rare footballing circle: Twente first noticed him during matches against Qarabag, and years later he returned to study coaching there.
The current Twente squad includes several well-known players. The main figure is 33-year-old Wout Weghorst, who has made more than 50 appearances for the Netherlands. Before returning to his homeland, he played for Wolfsburg, Burnley, Manchester United, Besiktas and Ajax.
Alongside him is Croatia international Marco Pjaca, a 2018 World Cup finalist. He has already scored three goals in the tie against DAC. In midfield, Algeria international Ramiz Zerrouki has returned from Feyenoord. Norwegian Sondre Orjasaeter provides pace and individual threat on the wing.
Twente also have another big name, although he is not on the pitch. Erik ten Hag has become the club's technical director. Together with Van den Brom, he is trying to restore stability and a recognisable attacking style to the team.
Twente like to dominate possession, use the full width of the pitch and spend much of the match in the opposition half. The centre-forward draws defenders out of position, the wide players exploit the space to make runs and the midfielders join attacks as a second wave. With Weghorst up front, the danger comes not only from combinations on the ground but also from numerous crosses into the box.
However, this approach leaves space behind the full-backs. Ferencvaros exploited this weakness, and DAC also caused Twente problems. When the Dutch side lose possession with many players committed forward, their centre-backs can be left defending against opponents at pace.
The Dutch media do not regard Qarabag as an easy opponent. The Azerbaijani side are described as a strong and experienced European team, with their Champions League campaign and Twente's 2014 elimination against them frequently mentioned. Local reports have already referred to the possibility of revenge, but the tone is more respectful than relieved at the draw.
Gurban Gurbanov also highlighted the Dutch side's characteristic combinations during their 6-0 win over DAC. According to the Qarabag coach, Twente like to control possession and are good at doing so, meaning his players will have to cover more ground both with and without the ball.
Qarabag's main problem lies in attack. The team have lost Camilo Duran, who joined Celtic, and Leandro Andrade, who continued his career at Polissya. Both played important roles in last season's Champions League campaign. The new arrivals are still adapting to Gurbanov's demands, although Muaddib's goal against Dynamo Kyiv showed that the process is moving in the right direction.
Qarabag cannot spend the entire match camped around their own penalty area in Enschede. With Weghorst in the box, sustained pressure and a series of crosses could lead to a goal. The Aghdam side need to retain possession at times, slow the tempo and force Twente's full-backs to think about defending as well as attacking.
Kashchuk, Muaddib and Elvin Jafarquliyev could exploit the space behind them. At the same time, Qarabag will need to make the most of their chances. There may be few opportunities in a tie like this, but a single successful counter-attack could completely change the scenario.
In terms of individual quality and the level of the domestic league, Twente have a slight advantage. In European experience, organisation and the ability to handle second legs in Baku, however, Qarabag have the edge. Therefore, Qarabag's progression would not be a shock.
The main task is to prevent Twente from building a significant advantage in Enschede. If the tie returns to Baku with the Dutch side holding only a narrow lead, or with the scores level, the psychological and home advantage could shift towards Gurbanov's team.
In 2014, a goal in Enschede opened the door for Qarabag to reach their first European group stage. Now the same city once again becomes the starting point from which they must bring a live tie back to Baku.
