"The inability of Neftchi to score points in the last period demotivated them. After that, they have to take points in all the matches they will play."
Aslan Karimov, a former Qarabag and Azerbaijan national team player, told Idman.biz.
The specialist shared his thoughts on the upcoming match between Qarabag and Neftchi, set to take place in the VII round of the Misli Premier League. He expressed that Neftchi has a chance to earn points: "One advantage for Neftchi could be that Qarabag are scheduled to play Tottenham in the Europa League shortly after. Some key players might not play the full 90 minutes, allowing for rotations, which could create favorable conditions for Neftchi. However, any team from Aghdam can pose challenges for Baku, and a very tough game awaits the Black Whites. Roman Hryhorchuk's side will likely avoid playing aggressively, opting to play defensively and look for counter-attacking opportunities through players like Lebon or Ramil.
But Neftchi's recent performances haven't been very promising, with too many ball losses, particularly in the holding midfield position, right in front of the defense. We've seen similar issues in their previous matches. Qarabag are a team that can capitalize on these mistakes. If Neftchi lose possession while organizing attacks, Qarabag's experienced players, under Gurban Gurbanov, could punish them.
I believe Neftchi has a chance to take points from Qarabag, possibly securing a draw, especially with Qarabag having their upcoming match against Tottenham."
Karimov said that the dismissal of Gara Garayev from the team will not affect the game of Neftchi: “Neftchi players allow too many ball losses while capturing the ball in the center of the field. If Gara was actually there, Neftchi would not have made such a mistake. There were not so many one-on-one episodes in the team's games. This was my subjective opinion. The absence of Garayev, his experience and understanding of the game is a loss for Neftchi.”
According to the veteran footballer, no matter what the result of the game is, it will not cause Roman Hryhorchuk, head coach of the "whites and blacks", to leave his post: "I don't think that Hryhorchuk will leave if Neftchi loses this game as well." I think he has until winter break. The results before the winter break will be important. The game against Qarabag should not be an indicator of whether the coach will leave the team or not. Because whoever is the coach of Neftchi in the game against this opponent, it will be difficult. They lag behind their rivals in terms of tactical, technical and financial aspects. The fact that they lost to Aghdam club here is not an indication that a coach is not working properly. But other games will be affected. If Neftchi loses this match, I do not believe that Hryhorchuk will be dismissed."
The match between Qarabag and Neftchi will be held today at 20:00 at Azersun Arena.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
