Chances are even in "Sabah" – "Levski" match.
Azerbaijan U-17 national team head coach Aqil Nabiyev shared his views with AZERTAC on the chances of “Sabah” and “Araz-Nakhchivan” in today’s UEFA Conference League third qualifying round return matches, Idman.biz reports.
He noted that Bulgarian side “Levski” is unlikely to play openly against “Sabah” in the Baku match: “There were no major mistakes from ‘Sabah’ in the first leg. Valdas Dambrauskas simply opted for defensive football, likely due to the opponent’s reputation. I believe both teams will play cautiously in Baku. I don’t expect ‘Levski’ to play comfortably, as our team has a strong attacking line that could trouble them. Fan support will also be important for ‘Sabah’ today.”
The expert added that “Araz-Nakhchivan,” visiting Cyprus to face “Omonia,” has very slim chances of advancing: “Omonia is a team with European experience, while the Nakhchivan side is inexperienced. That’s why the first match turned out as it did. However, nothing is impossible in football. ‘Araz-Nakhchivan’ should primarily play for the reputation of Azerbaijani football. A win in Cyprus would earn points for the country’s ranking.”
“Sabah” will host Bulgaria’s “Levski” at Masazir’s Bank Respublika Arena. Ukrainian referee Mykola Balakin will oversee the match, which kicks off at 20:00. In the first leg in Sofia, the home team won narrowly. The winner of this tie will face the victor of the “AZ Alkmaar” (Netherlands) vs. “Vaduz” (Liechtenstein) clash in the playoff round.
Meanwhile, “Araz-Nakhchivan” will meet “Omonia” in Cyprus, with Danish referee Jakob Kehlet in charge. The match, starting at 21:00 Baku time, follows a 0:4 loss for Nakhchivan in the first leg. The winner will face the loser of the “PAOK” (Greece) vs. “Wolfsberger” (Austria) European League tie.
Idman.biz
