2024-03-11 09:40:24
“Compared to Bayer, we did not have enough quality to win. In the second half, the opposing players who came onto the field slightly improved the quality of the team’s play.”
Former Qarabag football player Aslan Kerimov told İdman.biz.
The 51-year-old specialist assessed the match in which Qarabag drew with Bayer with a score of 2:2 in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League. He noted that Gurban Gurbanov’s team played great in the first half:
“We scored 70 percent of our chances. To win these games, you need to use the opportunities that are available 90, 100 percent of the time. We acted according to a well-chosen plan. However, after the substitutions, Bayer became close to the club we are used to. As a player, I wouldn’t want to single anyone out. But Olavio Juninho put pressure twice in attack, “stole” the ball and scored a goal. He gave Bayer defenders hell in attack. I believe that he would have been the most productive player if he had not been injured in this match. I don’t want to say anything bad about the defenders’ performance. They also made a very good impression. It was not an easy task to press so hard in front of such a team, to run so much and create chances to score. For this reason I especially appreciate Juninho.”
Kerimov also commented on Xabi Alonso’s starting line-up:
Bayer is the main contender for the title of German champion this year. They will have to play on both fronts. Based on the results of previous matches, the overall performance of the main team players may have been too high. They were given the opportunity to rest in the meeting with Karabakh. Giving the main team a chance to rest in the first half, Xabi Alonso suggested that his strength was superior to that of our team. At least they didn’t think they would be down 0-2 in the first half. After conceding goals in the first half, they realized the seriousness of the task. They were lucky that Qarabag didn’t score the third goal, otherwise they would have gone home defeated.”
The veteran footballer also voiced his expectations from Qarabag in the return match:
“After the first game, everything can be expected from the second leg. Without a doubt, Bayer are still favorites on paper. Again, it is important what kind of lineup they play with. Whether Juninho will be ready for this match is also a big question. On the other hand, “We will have opportunities to score in Germany too. Bayer do not kick the ball just anywhere. And this is where the work of the Spanish coach is visible. Starting in defense, they want to create a numerical majority of their players next to the ball. Inevitably, passing distances become shorter when There are more of them. They make passes at a distance of 3-5 meters. In such a situation, pressing and capturing the ball is relatively beneficial for the opposing team.
If they come out of defense, they leave our pressing attack line behind. In this regard, they play somewhat riskily. If you show this kind of football and don’t lose the ball, you will show the performance of Bayer, which was here in the 2nd half. But I think Jonathan Ta will take the field again (laughs). We can take the ball away from him and create scoring opportunities. I think this game will be 55 to 45 with the opponent advantage. We will definitely have opportunities to score. We were able to take advantage of these episodes in the match with Braga. We must test our strength again against Bayer.
It should be noted that the return match between Bayer and Qarabag will take place on March 14 in Leverkusen.
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