Qarabag: Unattainable Record and the Chase for Third Place - ANALYSIS

Qarabag FK, the reigning champion of Azerbaijan, is gearing up for their second match in the 2024/25 European Cup main stage.

Idman.biz reports that Gurban Gurbanov's team will face Malmö in the second round of the UEFA Europa League.

As they head into the clash, Qarabag will be aiming for their first goal, first point, and first victory of the campaign. Let’s explore the history and significance of Qarabag’s performance in European competitions as they prepare for this milestone game.

Unattainable Record

Last season, Qarabag set the best start in Azerbaijani football history during the Europa League, winning their first two matches. Gurbanov's squad decided both games with a single goal, defeating Molde at home and Hacken away. Interestingly, like this year, a Swedish club was their second-round opponent.

Undefeated Start in 2021/22

Before last season's success, Qarabag’s best start came in the 2021/22 season, when they remained unbeaten in their first two matches. Competing in the Conference League, Qarabag collected 4 points after a 0-0 draw against Basel in Baku and a 4-1 victory over Omonia in Cyprus. This was the first time the club remained undefeated in the opening two games.

Chance to Match Third-Best Start

While Qarabag won’t be able to match their undefeated starts from 2021 and 2023 this year, they still have a chance to replicate their third-best start. In 2015, 2019, and 2022, Qarabag collected 3 points from their opening two matches in the Europa League. If they win against Malmö after the defeat to Tottenham (0-3), it will mark the fourth time that the team has won one and lost one in the first two games. Interestingly, only in the 2022/23 season did Qarabag finish with a positive goal difference after such a start.

Consistency in Early Victories

In five of their previous 10 European campaigns, Qarabag has managed at least one victory in their first two matches. Impressively, three of those seasons came in recent years. The last time Qarabag failed to win either of their first two games was in 2020/21. They are now seeking to extend their streak of at least one victory in the first two games for the fourth consecutive season.

Consolation Points

There have been five seasons where Qarabag couldn’t win in their opening two matches. In two of those seasons, they managed to salvage a point: a draw with Saint Etienne in 2014/15 and with Slovan Bratislava in 2016/17. Both matches took place in Baku, but in both seasons, Qarabag failed to collect points in their first away game.

Streak Born in the Champions League

Qarabag managed to earn at least one point in the opening matches of their first three seasons in the main stages of European competition. However, their first campaign with two consecutive defeats came in the 2017/18 Champions League, when they lost to Chelsea and Roma. Two years later, in 2020/21, Qarabag went without points in their first two games once again. If they lose to Malmö, it will mark the fourth time in their history that Qarabag has started a European campaign without points after two rounds.

One Goal Could Be Enough

Qarabag has scored at least one goal in the first two matches of the last five seasons. Scoring just once against Malmö would be enough to extend that streak to six. However, if they fail to find the back of the net, it will be the third time in their history that Qarabag has gone goalless in their opening two games—something that previously happened in 2014 and 2018. The difference between those two failures is that Qarabag earned a point in 2014, whereas in 2018, they had neither a goal nor a point.

Today's match between Qarabag and Malmö will start at 20:45.

Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz