“As our two representatives advance through each stage, they face stronger opponents. Nevertheless, I highly rate our clubs' chances.”
According to Idman.biz, this is what Aslan Karimov, head of the AFFA Coaching Education Department, told AZERTAC while evaluating the chances of “Araz-Nakhchivan,” who will host Cyprus’ “Omonia” in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, and “Sabah,” who will be visiting Bulgaria’s “Levski.”
The expert noted that both teams surprised fans with good results in the second round: “The Nakhchivan club was not considered a favorite in the match against Greece’s Aris either. However, they fought with determination and qualified for the next round. Perhaps many of us did not expect such a result from Elmar Bakhshiyev’s team, but they surprised us in a good way. Even in today's matches, if we look at experience and financial strength, the opponents are considered favorites. But as in the previous matches, we may see another surprise. The ‘Araz-Nakhchivan’ showed that they play very well on counterattacks. They can take control of the midfield when needed. Thanks to all this, they could surpass the Cypriot club. As for ‘Sabah,’ they achieved a crushing victory over ‘Petrocub’ through their wing attacks. Their wingers are extremely strong and fast, which is an advantage for them.”
Karimov said it is difficult to predict the score: “Because we are not very familiar with the opponents' playing styles. Only after watching today's matches can we give a more accurate opinion.”
For the record, the “Araz-Nakhchivan” vs. “Omonia” match at Liv Bona Dea Arena will kick off at 20:00, while the “Levski” vs. “Sabah” match at the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium in Sofia will start at 22:00 Baku time.
Idman.biz
