CSKA Sofia - Qarabag: An intriguing battle for a place in the next round of qualifying
In a UEFA Conference League qualifying match, CSKA Sofia and Qarabag will meet on Thursday, July 30, with kick-off at 20:00 CET. I have a bet in mind for this game.
CSKA Sofia - Qarabag: Match preview
The first leg was a fairly even contest, although the hosts had slightly more chances, which they failed to convert. The same was true of the visitors, who were also unable to take advantage of their opportunities. As a result, the teams head into the second leg level at 0-0.
CSKA had a fairly good campaign last season, finishing fourth in the table with 63 points from 36 rounds. In addition, the team won the Bulgarian Cup, which gives them the opportunity to compete for a place in the UEFA Europa League. The Bulgarian First League has already begun, and CSKA Sofia have won one of their two matches and drawn the other.
Qarabag have not yet begun their bid for the Azerbaijani league title this season. Their campaign is scheduled to start on August 15. However, looking back at last season, Qarabag failed to win the title for the first time in five years, finishing nine points behind Sabah Baku. They are now battling for a place in the Europa League, having entered the competition in the first qualifying round, where they beat Víkingur 6-0.
Match facts and H2H
- The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw.
- CSKA Sofia are unbeaten in their last seven matches.
- Qarabag have won two of their last three matches.
- CSKA Sofia and Qarabag have met four times, with the Azerbaijani side winning two matches and the Bulgarian side winning one.
Probable lineups
- CSKA Sofia: Lapoukhov - Martino, Rodrigues, Ivanov, Pastor - Sensi, Bruno Jordão, Gbamin, Ebong - Godoy, Pytas
- Qarabag: Kochalski - Langa, Várkonyi, Huseynov, Matheus - Janković, Bicalho - Zoubir, Kady, Kashchuk - Savo
Prediction
This will be another tense match in which neither side will want to give way. Therefore, I do not expect it to be a high-scoring affair, but it should certainly be an intriguing contest. I recommend betting on under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.72.
