Ferencvaros take on the visitors Qarabag in the first leg of UEFA Champions League Qualification final round. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 19th at Groupama Arena (Budapest).
Ferencváros look to take advantage of a golden opportunity. The Green Eagles won their first titles back in the early 20th century, and today they are the undisputed dominant force in Hungarian football. Since 2019, Ferencváros have consistently claimed the league title, showing their superiority season after season. Last year was far from smooth, but the arrival of Robbie Keane in the winter proved decisive, as he guided the team to yet another championship. Now, they are just one step away from reaching the Champions League group stage. In the previous rounds, they dealt with two opponents: first beating Noah twice (2-1 away, 4-3 at home), and then eliminating Ludogorets with a goalless draw in Razgrad before producing a convincing 3-0 victory in Budapest.
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Qarabag first rose to prominence back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning the Azerbaijani title as early as 1993. After relocating to Baku, it took until 2014 for them to reclaim domestic dominance, which they have rarely relinquished since — only missing out in the COVID-affected 2021 season. Under Gurban Gurbanov, European football has become a priority, with their historic run to the Champions League group stage in 2017 still remembered. Attempts to repeat that success have fallen short, including last year’s defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the decisive round. This summer, Qarabag have once again reached the playoff stage, dispatching Shelbourne (3-0, 1-0) and Shkëndija (1-0, 5-1) with ease. But Ferencváros represent a much tougher challenge.
These sides already clashed in the Champions League qualifiers in 2022. Qarabag drew 1-1 at home before winning 3-1 in Budapest. A year later, they played a friendly that ended in an entertaining 3-3 draw. Playing in Budapest should give Ferencváros a crucial edge, especially with their strong recent home form. Back the hosts to win.
Prediction for the match: Ferencvaros to win.
