"Everyone enjoyed the historic match against Bayer."
Qarabag former player Afran Ismayilov told Idman.biz.
He evaluated the game of Qarabag against the leader of the Bundesliga Bayer in the R16 final stage of the UEFA Europa League in Baku. Ismayilov said that in the first match, which ended with a score of 2:2, the champion of Azerbaijan fought against a very serious and disciplined opponent: "We started the game very well. It can be said that in the first part of the match we had the advantage completely. Towards the end, we couldn't deliver physically, and their strong fight and having more quality players changed the dynamics of the match. Bayer players who entered the field in the second half decided the rest of the match. Although the match ended with a score of 2:2, everything was in our hands. At least we could end Bayer's unbeaten streak. But from the beginning I expected the match to end in a draw or in our favor."
He stressed that he always believes in Qarabag, which promotes Azerbaijani football in Europe: "Bayer has enough European experience. Bundesliga and Premier League are not closely or remotely related to each other. The 1/8 final stage is a stage where all the processes that take place are equal to the final. Football players are preparing for this game by gathering all their strength. It is necessary to fight until the end when going to such matches. Bayer witnessed the strength of Qarabag in Baku. A very difficult game awaits us on the trip. Chances are 50/50, but Bayer is a different team. I believe that Qarabag will fight hard and fight until the end. Qarabag is our heart and it is Azerbaijani football."
It should be noted that the return match between Bayer and Qarabag will take place on March 14 in the city of Leverkusen.
Banuchichek Huseynli
Idman.biz
