Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Qarabag will be aiming to retain top position in Group H when they host Omonia to their Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in the Conference League round 5. The Azeri are eyeing their fourth consecutive win in the process, but they will have to prove their worth on the field. A man to watch in the home team will be Ramil Sheydaev, who scored the winner against Keshla at the weekend.
Omonia, on the other hand, have slim chances of booking their place in the Conference League playoffs, and seeing that they are not regarded as good travelers, we are tempted to put our money on Qarabag this time out. When the two sides met in Cyprus earlier in the process Qarabag outclassed Omonia 4-1, and we predict that the history is going to repeat itself. Spanish midfielder Hector Yuste, who limped off with injury in a 3-0 win over Aris, is unlikely to feature for the visitors.
Highlighted Player (Maksim Medvedev):
Maksim Medvedev is an Azerbaijan international who plays for Qarabag as a right-back. Born in Baku, back then Soviet Union, on September 29, 1989, Medvedev is a first-team regular at the Azerbaijan national football team.
He played an important role in the national team during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, but he scored his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Norway on October 8, 2016. Speaking of his club career, Maksim Medvedev is a product of the Qarabag football academy, and he continued playing for the Azeri giants at senior level. His main position is right-back, but he is used as both right midfielder and centre-back as well.
Medvedev made his debut in the Champions League group stages in a 6-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 12, 2017. The 175-cm tall footballer wears the No. 5 jersey at Qarabag, and his preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (Omonia):
Founded on June 4, 1948, Omonia are considered one of the most famous clubs in the history of Cyprus football. The Queen welcome their opponents at GSP Stadium in Nicosia. The venue was opened in 1999 and it can hold up to 22,859 spectators.
However, the stadium’s record attendance is 23,043. Omonoia are the second most successful club in Omonia, with the team winning 20 domestic championships, eight less than APOEL. On the other hand, the club clinched their 14th Cypriot Cup title in the 2011/12 season. The Cypriot outfit made their debut in the Champions League (European Cup) in the 1966/67 season, with the team suffering a heavy 10-1 loss (on agg.) to Bundesliga side 1860 Munich.
Omonia are well known for their light green home shirts, with the team wearing red when playing on the travels. The 1970s are considered the club’s golden era. Led by talented footballer Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonia won seven league titles in that decade.