In their first leg against Dinamo Zagreb, Qarabag FK encountered significant difficulties, despite having been the top scorers in the qualifiers with 15 goals across four matches.
The Azerbaijani team struggled throughout the match, even though the difference in quality between the two sides wasn’t overly apparent.
Both teams began cautiously, but it was Marko Pjaca, formerly of Juventus, who found the net in the 29th minute to give Dinamo a 1-0 lead. The teams entered halftime with Dinamo holding a slender advantage.
In the second half, Dinamo Zagreb capitalized further when Kulenovic scored in the 74th minute, making it 2-0. Just six minutes later, another defensive mistake from Qarabag allowed Dinamo to score again, sealing a 3-0 victory.
Despite the scoreline, Qarabag had several opportunities, including 18 shots and a missed one-on-one chance by Juninho in the first half, as well as another close-range miss. Dinamo Zagreb’s clinical finishing contrasted sharply with Qarabag’s missed chances, leading to a harsh 3-0 defeat.
Dinamo Zagreb, already in good form in their domestic league, kicked off their Champions League campaign with this victory.
Even though Qarabag had multiple missed chances, Dinamo’s 3-0 lead from the first leg puts them in a commanding position. The second leg is expected to be an exciting match, especially given Qarabag’s strong attacking potential.
Qarabag FK, which supplied seven players for the Azerbaijani national team during the last international break, relies heavily on foreign talent. Notable players include former Lille striker Benzia, who scored 12 goals last season, and ex-Lens forward Zoubir, who netted 8 goals, although both were quiet in the first leg.
Striker Juninho, who has scored six goals in five Champions League qualifying matches, had several opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Their main goalkeeper, Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev, is sidelined with a long-term injury, so Buntic, a new addition to the team, was in goal and conceded all three goals. Additionally, international striker Musa Qurbanli and Montenegrin internationals Vesovic and Jankovic are unavailable.
Despite losing key players like Orsic over the years, Dinamo Zagreb still boasts a strong squad, including striker Petkovic, who has scored 69 goals in 215 matches.
Marko Pjaca, who recently rejoined Dinamo, scored the opening goal in the first leg, while Kulenovic came off the bench to score twice. However, they are without central defender Mauro Perkovic and Iranian international Moharami, and the participation of captain Ademi remains uncertain.
Prediction
Qarabag is currently on an 11-match winless streak in the Champions League, with five of their last nine matches ending in defeat. On the other hand, Dinamo Zagreb is in strong form, indicating that the Croatian team is likely to have the advantage.
Prediction: Qarabag 1 : 2 Dinamo Zagreb.
