“The match was completely dominated by Qarabag.”
Former Qarabag player Vidadi Rzayev made this statement in an interview with AZERTAC, speaking about the Azerbaijani champion’s 1-0 victory over North Macedonia’s Shkendija in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, Idman.biz reports.
The expert noted that the Agdam club could have secured a more convincing win if the players had been more clinical: “Unfortunately, Nariman Akhundzada failed to take advantage of the chances he had. Juninho’s absence is clearly felt in the attack. He truly was Qarabag’s ‘goal weapon.’ As for the game, Qarabag is clearly on a different level than Shkendija. Yes, there were some mistakes, but there's no need to highlight them. This opponent can be beaten in Baku as well.”
Rzayev expressed his belief that his former team will qualify for the main stage of the Champions League: “Compared to last year, Qarabag is stronger this season. Our team has previously defeated potential play-off opponents like Ludogorets and Ferencvaros. It's true that Hungarian teams always pose a challenge for us, but I firmly believe Qarabag will make it to the group stage this year.”
The second leg will be held on August 12 at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.
Idman.biz
