Rakow Czestochowa and Qarabag set for UEFA UCL first leg second qualifying round stalemate
Rakow Czestochowa vs Qarabag FK - 26/07/2023
2020
The UEFA Champions League second qualifying round kicks off this week. Polish club Rakow Czestochowa will host Azerbaijan’s Qarabag at the Miejski Stadion on Wednesday in the first leg of their second qualifying round tie.
Rakow Czestochowa were the surprise Polish Ekstraklasa winners in 2022-23. Their reward is a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.
The Medallions defeated Estonia’s Flora in the first qualifying round 4-0 on aggregate. After a 1-0 win in the first leg, Rakow Czestochowa posted a 3-0 second-leg victory.
Lukasz Zwolinksi scored twice in the second leg to send Rakow Czestochowa to the win.
Qarabag are the reigning Azerbaijan Premier League winner. The Horsemen have been the class of the APL for the last few years and regularly in European competition qualifying rounds.
Last season, Qarabag reached the Champions League playoff round before losing to Viktoria Plzen 2-1 on aggregate.
The Horsemen knocked off Poland’s Lech Poznan, Switzerland’s FC Zurich, and Hungary’s Ferencvaros to reach the playoff round of the tournament.
Qarabag defeated Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps in the first qualifying round 6-1 on aggregate.
Manager Qurban Qurbanov used a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Xhixha leading the line. The Albanian scored in both legs of the tie with Lincoln Red Imps.
Qurbanov dipped into the transfer market to sign three exciting players in the offseason.
Left-wing Hamidou Keyta arrived from Zira, right-wing Juninho joined from Chaves, and midfielder Patrick Andrade joined from Partizan.
Qarabag right-back Abbas Huseynov will likely miss the game due to an injury.
Manager Dawid Szwarga led Rakow Czestochowa into the first round of the Ekstraklasa at the weekend and to a 3-0 win over Jagiellonia.
Zwolinski scored twice to take his goal total to four this season in all competitions.
Szwarga will use a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Zwoliniski as the lone striker. Attacking midfielder John Yeboah could start after making his €1.5 million move from Slask Wroclaw.
Midfielder Ivi Lopez will miss the game with a serious knee injury. Left-sided midfielder Kamil Pestka is a doubt following a knee injury of his own. Centre-back Adrian Gryszkiewicz is ruled out with a muscle tear.
The first leg between Rakow Czestochowa and Qarabag should be close and cagey.
Neither side wants to lose the tie in the first leg. The competition in the qualifying rounds is increasing, and it should produce an exciting match on Wednesday.
Rakow Czestochowa and Qarabag should draw 1-1 at full-time, with neither team able to get the upper hand.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
UCL
333829
X
1 - 1
2.33
14°
3.40
2.05
3.40
3.60
no
no
no
3 - 2(0 - 0)
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