Rakow take on the visitors Qarabag Bucuresti in the first leg of UEFA Champions League qualification quarterfinals. The match will be played on Wednesday, July 26th at Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków (Częstochowa).
Raków became the champion of Poland for the first time, playing in the third Polish division 7 years ago. Under the guidance of Coach Papshun, they achieved a significant lead, but unexpectedly, the coach resigned after winning the title. A young assistant, David Schwarga, has been appointed to take his place, ensuring the preservation of the team's philosophy and the 3-4-3 formation with high pressing and constant pressure on the opponent. In terms of European competitions, the team is just starting to gain experience. Last year, they couldn't get past Prague's Slavia in the Champions League (1-0, 0-2), but this time, they convincingly defeated the Estonian champion Flora (1-0, 3-0). In the championship, they started with a 3-0 victory over Jagiellonia but lost the Polish Super Cup to Legia (0-1, on penalties). Karabakh poses an interesting challenge for the young Schwarga's protégés.
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Qarabag are a more experienced and seasoned European competition participant, and they had no problems in the first qualifying round against Gibraltar's Lincoln. Agdam's team won 2-1 away against Lincoln, scoring the winning goal in the closing minutes of extra time, and at home, they annihilated the opponent 4-0. Under Gurban Gurbanov's management, the team has become more attacking-minded, a transformation that took them a whole 15 years as the champions of Azerbaijan. In terms of changes in the squad, Ozobic, Kadi, and Sheydayev have left, while Albanian striker Shiksa has become the new spearhead of the attack, scoring goals in both matches against Gibraltar. In Częstochowa, Qarabag will surely utilize dangerous counterattacks.
In my opinion, the champions of Azerbaijan should not leave the field without scoring in this match. The opponent attacks vigorously and aggressively, while Qarabag knows how to exploit weaknesses in counterattacks, especially given their greater experience compared to the Polish champions. The visitors play more actively in attack and are unlikely to sit deep in their own penalty area, so they will definitely have opportunities to score against the red and blue team. It's just a matter of converting those opportunities.
Prediction for the match: Qarabag to score – yes.
