Lincoln Red Imps take on the visitors Qarabag in the first leg of 1/8-finals in UEFA Champions League qualification playoffs. The match will be played on Tuesday, June 11th at Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar).
Lincoln Red Imps are the most successful football club in Gibraltar. The team has won 23 championship titles, fourteen of which were won between 2003 and 2016. This modest team has also achieved success on the international stage, notably reaching the group stage of the UEFA Conference League in the 2021/22 season. In that season, Lincoln Red Imps sensationally defeated Latvia's Riga in the playoff stage, becoming the first Gibraltar football team in history to reach the final stage of a European cup competition. Naturally, they didn't achieve much success in the group stage, losing all six matches, but the saying it's not about winning, it's about participating applies here. It's difficult to judge their form as it seems Lincoln Red Imps didn't play any preseason matches.
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Qarabag have been the consistent champion of Azerbaijan for the past nine years, with a total of ten championship titles to their name. In the previous season, Qarabag confidently won the national championship, finishing nine points ahead of their closest rival. Their achievements in European competitions should not be overlooked, as Qarabag has been a regular participant in the group stages of the UEFA Europa League, Conference League, and even the Champions League once. Moreover, in recent years, the team has performed beyond being mere statistics, achieving certain successes such as reaching the playoffs. Prior to the start of the Champions League qualification, Qarabag played three friendly matches. They had a high-scoring draw (3-3) against Ferencváros, followed by a defeat against Legia Warsaw (0-1), and a victory over CSKA Sofia (1-0).
Lincoln Red Imps wouldn't mind repeating their trick of reaching the group stage of a European club competition, but frankly speaking, their chances of doing so in the Champions League against a strong opponent like Karabakh are slim. In terms of European experience, class, and the skills of their players, the Azerbaijani team is superior to their opponent, and I believe that Gurban Gurbanov's team will confidently handle this opponent in the first leg of their two-legged duel. My prediction: Karabakh to win with over 1.5 total goals (Away win + Over 1.5).
Prediction for the match: Qarabag to win and Over 1.5 scored goal.
