Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Qarabag will look to defend their two-goal lead in the tie with Lincoln Red Imps when the two teams face each other at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium on Tuesday evening. Qarabag are with one foot in the Champions League third qualifying round, but they can’t afford any complacency in the return leg. Barring any fresh injury worries, Qurban Qurbanov is unlikely to make changes to the team that won the first leg.
The Gibraltar champions, on the other hand, will have a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture. As Lincoln Red Imps had no more than three goal attempts in the first leg, anything but a routine home win would be a big surprise. Ghana defender Ibrahim Ayew is pushing for a recall to the starting XI after coming as a substitute in the first leg. Javier Sanchiz Munoz is likely to stick to the 4-4-2 formation.
Highlighted Team (Qarabag):
Over the years Qarabag have established themselves as one of the best teams in Azerbaijan. The club was founded in 1951 and they were playing under the name of Mehsul back then. Qarabag won their first trophy in the national championship in 1993, beating Khazar Sumgayit in the title game.
In the 2015/2016 season they won their fourth domestic trophy, with the team finishing the season 22 points clear of second-placed Zira. Qarabag participated in the 2016/2017 Champions League qualifiers, but they were more than unfortunate to suffer a loss to Viktoria Plzen in the two-legged tie. The Azerbaijan outfit were beaten by the Czechs on away goal rule and, as a result, they made it to the Europa League playoffs.
Thanks to a win over Goteborg in the double-header Qarabag made it to the knockout stages of the competition. The Horsemen play their home games at Azersun Arena and their home colours are black. Qarabag play their away games in white kits.