The camp of Azerbaijani clubs in Antalya have ended.
The Premier League clubs that are traveling to Turkiye to get ready for the second half of the season have wrapped up their training and test matches, according to Idman.biz.
Half of the Premier League
There were fewer teams traveling to Antalya this year than in prior years. Of the ten Premier League clubs, half were transferred to nearby nations. Some opted to remain in the nation to become ready. Qarabag and Zira, the champions, Kapaz and Gabala, the outsiders, and the middle-class Araz-Nakhchivan all stayed in the country. The clubs' selection is influenced by the brief duration of the break. The road to Antalya was closed during the Premier League's 27-day winter break. Clubs were therefore able to save money and time. Following tradition, the other five clubs decided to have their winter meeting in Antalya, which is already home.
A total of 11 games
The clubs that traveled to Turkiye played a limited number of test matches because the break was brief. There were just two match days for each of the five teams. Turan Tovuz proved their strength in two matches on one of these days. The Westerners had three trials in Antalya as a result. Some were content with two sessions apiece. Over the winter break, eleven international matches were played.
Neftchi, helpless in front of the weak
Neftchi was one of the teams who moved to Antalya, which won the Premier League title. The third-place Baku team had a new head coach during the winter. "White and Blacks" attempted with Turkish lower-division teams. Such feeble opponents left Miodrag Bojovic's forces helpless. It is true that in test games, the outcome is irrelevant. However, the outcome, which is significant psychologically, also demonstrates the team's struggles in figuring out the game. It is not acceptable that the capital's representative lost three balls in each test and once by a significant margin.
Played more, lost more.
Like Neftchi, Turan Tovuz lost all matches in Turkiye in. But the Westerners played more games - 3. Aykhan Abbasov's team lost in all matches with a difference of two goals. Turan Tovuz conceded more than everyone else - 8 goals. This also shows the existence of problems in the back line.
Hunger for a goal
Sabail was the only Azerbaijani club that failed to score a goal in Turkiye. Sahin Diniyev's club, which was remarkable in its performance in the beginning of the Premier League, suffered significant defeats before the winter. The team's work in Antalya did not go well on the eve of the break. With just one goal let up in two games, Sabail went home unable to find a way past his opponent's goal. The Baku squad has played one match, ending in a draw. They will have to wait until formal matches in 2024 to get their first victory.
Instability continues
During the training session, Sumgayit, which was distinguished with their inconsistent performance in the Premier League, stuck to its rhythm. The squad captained by Samir Abasov lost by a wide margin in the first game, then narrowly missed winning by the same amount. That would have been the first significant international victory of the year if not for the late goal. With three goals in the half, they registered one win, and one loss, and are the most illustrious Azerbaijani club in Antalya.
Facing the strong opponents
Unlike other clubs, Sabah's opponents in Antalya were stronger. The games versus Vorskla and Rapid had various results. The first Azerbaijani club triumph in 2024 came from Murad Musayev's team's victory over the Romanian club. After that, a significant loss was noted. One victory and one defeat were brought back to Baku by the locals.
Two victories
5 clubs of Azerbaijan won only 2 victories, 1 draw and lost 8 times in 11 matches. Three of these defeats were by large scores. Our teams scored a total of 8 goals. The number of goals scored was equal to 23.
International test matches of Premier League clubs in Antalya:
Neftchi - Antalya - Erzurumspor (Turkiye) - 1:3, Sportverein Waldhof (Germany) - 0:3
Sabah - Antalya - Rapid (Romania) - 2 :1, Vorskla (Ukraine) - 0:3
Turan Tovuz" - Antalya - Voluntari (Romania) - 0:2, Siofok (Hungary) - 0:2, Nasaf (Uzbekistan) - 2 :4
Sumgayit - Antalya - Hermanstadt (Romania) - 0:3, Sogdiana (Uzbekistan) - 3:1
Sabail - Antalya - University of Cluj (Romania) - 0:0, Fakel (Russia) – 0:1
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
