Rakow take on the visitors Aris in the first leg of UEFA Champions League qualification semifinals. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 8th at Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków (Częstochowa).
Polish side Rakow managed to go through two rounds of Champions League qualification and finally secured their first-ever appearance in the Europa League group stage. At the very least, David Schwarz's team ensured participation in the group stage of the Conference League, but surely the Częstochowa-based club is not intending to stop there. So far, they have defeated Estonian side Flora (1-0, 3-0) and Azerbaijani club Qarabag (3-2, 1-1). The high pressing and attacking style of play by the red and blue team have yielded results. True, they couldn't overcome Warta Poznań in the Ekstraklasa (Polish top division) after returning from Baku, settling for a 2-2 draw. However, it is understandable that the hosts made rotations after such a journey.
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Aris also became champions of Cyprus for the first time but due to Cyprus having a higher coefficient compared to Poland, Limassol's team only had to go through one round of Champions League qualification, easily overcoming BATE Borisov (5-3, 6-2). The tennis-like scores are related to the playing styles of the teams. The Shpilevsky's team doesn't focus on defensive play, and this may become a disadvantage for them in Poland, as their defense is rather mediocre compared to other mid-level European champions.
Rakow prefer playing at home. The Częstochowa team will take control of the ball and apply high pressing on Aris, who doesn't possess a particularly skillful defense and is accustomed to playing aggressively. On away grounds, Shpilevsky's team may encounter an unpleasant and aggressive style from their opponent and succumb to pressure, in my opinion. Raków, with their tactically sound and well-drilled 3-4-3 formation built over five years, seems to be the more competent team. Passing through Qarabag was a tough task, and Aris appears weaker on paper.
Prediction for the match: Rakow to win.
