2024-03-15 09:01:25
And again visiting Bayer. Today Qarabag will play the return match of the 1/8 finals of the Europa League in Leverkusen, where they will try to pleasantly surprise again. The champion of Azerbaijan went to the exit by no means as an outsider of the pair, and in this confrontation not everything has been decided.
According to İdman.biz, it is to some extent symbolic that both teams met again at the playoff stage. Even in the return match of the group round in Baku, the Aghdam team showed that they can resist the leader of the Bundesliga, and the next match a week ago only confirmed this. The draw suggests that the Azerbaijani champion will try to make the most of his chance at Bayer and the task does not look impossible at all. After all, anything can happen in a single match, and Gurban Gurbanov’s team demonstrated an enchanting performance during the season. Just look at the confrontation with Braga.
Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is well aware of how dangerous Qarabag is. Yes, the leader of the Bundesliga shows phenomenal football in the championship, the team is talked about in Europe, but meetings with the champion of Azerbaijan are always held with increased tension. With the exception of the first meeting of the group stage (5:1), in the rest our club acted quite confidently against Bayer and actually studied it. Gurbanov’s phrase also speaks about the mood of the guests: “We must definitely play better than in Baku. We want to achieve a good result and will fight until the end.”
It is obvious that the guests will have to maintain a balance between careful and at the same time sharp play on counterattacks. It is possible that the hosts will not force events from the very beginning of the meeting and will start the game with reconnaissance. After all, both teams got to know each other very well during this season, assessed each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and will certainly build the game with that in mind.
Without a doubt, there will be changes in the lineups. Surely Xabi Alonso will not resort to the rotation that he allowed in recent matches. For example, in Baku, Frimpong, Xhaka and Wirtz remained on the bench, making a difference after the break.
Gurban Gurbanov can also count on greater variability, given the return of Elvin Jafarguliyev and Julio Romao after disqualifications. Kevin Medina, who has returned to action, is also available. But whether he will be in the starting lineup is still unclear. But it is obvious that a huge load will fall on the Qarabag defense and a lot depends on how the defense can cope with Leverkusen’s attacks.
However, no matter how the match turns out, it is obvious that the Aghdam team has already achieved a lot. They have already reached the level where they can successfully resist the leader of German football. Until recently it seemed simply incredible, but “Qarabakh” proves that anything is possible. And this is another reason to look forward to the return match in Leverkusen with optimism.
Zaki Feyzullaev
İdman.biz