As the second half of the Misli Premier League season gets underway, early matches indicate that most clubs have retained their pre-winter break form.
Idman.biz reports that while teams fighting for European qualification remain competitive, the most striking development is the resurgence of bottom-tier clubs—making the relegation battle even more intense.
New Low for Neftchi?
Relegation candidates like Sabail and Kapaz are no longer alone in their struggle to avoid the drop. Two more teams have now joined them, including Shamakhi, which is expected to fight for survival after recently rejoining the top flight. However, the biggest surprise is the presence of Neftchi in the bottom four.
Once Azerbaijan’s most decorated club, Neftchi is now enduring one of the worst seasons in its history. The Baku team, which has never been relegated in the country’s independent era, is alarmingly close to saying “hello” to the First League.
Head coach Samir Abasov's squad is only four points away from last place. In just two matchdays, Neftchi could theoretically find itself at the bottom of the table. If this trend continues, the team may be battling for a First League title next season—an unwanted first in its history.
The Worst Season Yet
With just 18 points from 20 matches, Neftçi is posting its worst-ever performance in Azerbaijan’s top league. Looking back at the club’s 32 previous seasons, no campaign has seen such a low tally at this stage.
The 2016/17 season was previously considered the club’s worst, with 20 points from 20 games. Now, Neftçi has surpassed that negative record by earning two points less—a situation never witnessed before in the club’s history.
For context, in the 1992, 1994/95, 1996/97, and 2000/01 seasons, Neftchi managed to earn as many points in just the first six rounds as they have across 20 matches this season. However, those successful starts are now distant memories.
Struggles in Front of Goal
One of the most concerning aspects of Neftchi’s downfall is its lack of goals.
- Only 18 goals in 20 matches – an average of 0.9 goals per game, marking the second-worst attacking record in the club’s history.
- The worst tally remains from 2016/17, when the team managed only 15 goals in 20 games.
Defensive Collapse
Neftchi’s defensive statistics this season are equally alarming:
- The team has conceded 30 goals—averaging 1.5 goals per match.
- This is the club’s second-worst defensive record in Azerbaijan’s independent football era, only surpassed by the 2016/17 season, when they allowed 33 goals at this stage.
|
1992 |
20 |
19 |
0 |
1 |
58 |
8 |
57 |
|
1993 |
18 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
39 |
11 |
38 |
|
1993/94 |
20 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
29 |
9 |
37 |
|
1994/95 |
20 |
14 |
4 |
2 |
53 |
9 |
46 |
|
1995/96 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
3 |
42 |
17 |
39 |
|
1996/97 |
20 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
61 |
11 |
47 |
|
1997/98 |
20 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
32 |
16 |
33 |
|
1998/99 |
20 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
33 |
15 |
36 |
|
1999/2000 |
20 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
32 |
16 |
37 |
|
2000/01 |
20 |
16 |
3 |
1 |
57 |
11 |
51 |
|
2001/02 |
20 |
12 |
5 |
3 |
28 |
6 |
41 |
|
2003/04 |
20 |
16 |
3 |
1 |
45 |
14 |
51 |
|
2004/05 |
20 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
26 |
10 |
43 |
|
2005/06 |
20 |
12 |
7 |
1 |
44 |
12 |
43 |
|
2006/07 |
20 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
36 |
11 |
45 |
|
2007/08 |
20 |
14 |
4 |
2 |
37 |
16 |
46 |
|
2008/09 |
20 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
22 |
16 |
27 |
|
2009/10 |
20 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
20 |
13 |
34 |
|
2010/11 |
20 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
36 |
9 |
42 |
|
2011/12 |
20 |
14 |
1 |
5 |
41 |
16 |
43 |
|
2012/13 |
20 |
12 |
2 |
6 |
42 |
22 |
38 |
|
2013/14 |
20 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
32 |
21 |
38 |
|
2014/15 |
20 |
9 |
6 |
5 |
25 |
16 |
33 |
|
2015/16 |
20 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
21 |
19 |
28 |
|
2016/17 |
20 |
6 |
2 |
12 |
15 |
33 |
20 |
|
2017/18 |
20 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
24 |
22 |
27 |
|
2018/19 |
20 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
35 |
14 |
44 |
|
2019/20 |
20 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
33 |
14 |
37 |
|
2020/21 |
20 |
13 |
3 |
4 |
30 |
19 |
42 |
|
2021/22 |
20 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
34 |
23 |
37 |
|
2022/23 |
20 |
13 |
2 |
5 |
36 |
21 |
41 |
|
2023/24 |
20 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
24 |
18 |
32 |
|
2024/25 |
20 |
3 |
9 |
8 |
18 |
30 |
18 |
Struggle to Win Matches
Neftchi’s inability to secure victories is another major red flag.
- The team has won only three games in 20 matches, all of which came in the second half of the season.
- This is a historic low—even in 2016/17, Neftçi had twice as many wins at this point (6 victories).
Additionally, Neftchi has:
- Lost 8 matches so far.
- Conceded goals in 17 out of 20 games—making it one of the most vulnerable defenses in recent history.
- Failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three wins—only drawing 0-0 when avoiding goals against.
|
1992 |
15 |
|
1993 |
10 |
|
1993/94 |
12 |
|
1994/95 |
14 |
|
1995/96 |
7 |
|
1996/97 |
11 |
|
1997/98 |
8 |
|
1998/99 |
10 |
|
1999/2000 |
9 |
|
2000/01 |
11 |
|
2001/02 |
15 |
|
2003/04 |
11 |
|
2004/05 |
12 |
|
2005/06 |
11 |
|
2006/07 |
11 |
|
2007/08 |
12 |
|
2008/09 |
9 |
|
2009/10 |
10 |
|
2010/11 |
14 |
|
2011/12 |
9 |
|
2012/13 |
4 |
|
2013/14 |
7 |
|
2014/15 |
10 |
|
2015/16 |
5 |
|
2016/17 |
5 |
|
2017/18 |
6 |
|
2018/19 |
10 |
|
2019/20 |
9 |
|
2020/21 |
7 |
|
2021/22 |
6 |
|
2022/23 |
10 |
|
2023/24 |
7 |
|
2024/25 |
3 |
European Football? Distant Dream
Years of managerial changes, squad overhauls, and constant player transfers have done little to fix Neftchi’s deep-rooted issues. The club is plagued by poor decision-making and mismanagement, with ineffective signings and a lack of strategic planning contributing to its downfall.
While Neftchi still has a theoretical chance to qualify for Europe through the Azerbaijan Cup, their league form suggests otherwise. The team has struggled against relegation-threatened opponents like Kapaz, Sabail, and Shamakhi —raising serious doubts about their ability to compete in the Europa League or Conference League.
Rather than chasing European qualification, Neftchi must focus on rebuilding its foundations and restoring its status as a leading club in Azerbaijan. Otherwise, the unthinkable—relegation—could soon become a reality.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
