HJK take on the visitors Qarabag in the second leg of UEFA Europa League qualification semifinals. First leg result: 1-2. The match will be played on Thursday, August 17th at Bolt Arena (Helsinki).
HJK in Helsinki will strive for victory. Klubi are the best football team in Finland both in terms of historical achievements and in the current stage. It's enough to say that they secured their 3rd consecutive title in the 2022 Veikkausliiga season, making it their 32nd title in history. There are chances to extend this streak, although the competition for the gold is strong with teams like SJK and KuPS. However, their international performance hasn't always been consistent. In the past, they managed to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League but often faced elimination in the qualifiers. The current season followed a similar pattern: after eliminating Larne (1-0 at home and 2-2 in Northern Ireland) and securing a narrow victory against Molde in Helsinki, they conceded twice in the return leg in Norway and were eliminated. They also suffered a loss in Baku, although the final score of 2-1 was set by Júnior's goal in the 85th minute.
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Qarabag can play a strategic game. The Horsemen may not have as long a history as the Finns, but they currently dominate their domestic league (with only Neftchi occasionally taking the top spot in Azerbaijan in recent years). Furthermore, under Gurban Gurbanov's guidance, they have built a strong reputation in European competitions. However, it should be noted that they managed to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League only once, in 2017. This summer, they faced elimination once again during the qualifiers. While they comfortably progressed against Lincoln Red Imps, they fell short against Rakow, with the Polish team being slightly but consistently stronger (3-2 in Częstochowa and 1-1 in Baku). Their performances against the Finns weren't all successful, but they managed to edge them out at home with a final score of 2-1. This means they can approach the match in Helsinki with a focus on achieving at least a draw and maintaining a strong defense.
On August 10th, the flagship teams of their respective countries faced each other for the first time. The Azerbaijani team is considered the favorite, even on foreign soil. However, their main goal is to avoid a loss and preferably not concede. Therefore, placing a bet on total goals under 2.5 seems reasonable.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
