This week, the next round of Europa League matches will take place, with Qarabag facing off against Lyon in Group Stage Matchday 5.
Idman.biz reports that this encounter marks the 15th European club competition match between teams from Azerbaijan and France.
Qarabag: 10, Azerbaijan: 14
So far, Azerbaijani and French clubs have faced each other 7 times in European competitions. In these 14 encounters, Azerbaijani teams have secured 2 victories, while French clubs have won 8 times. The other 4 matches ended in draws. Azerbaijani clubs have scored 10 goals but conceded 24.
Out of these 14 games, 10 involved Qarabag. The Azerbaijani champions have achieved 1 win and 3 draws, but have faced 6 defeats. Qarabag scored 7 goals and conceded 20.
Azerbaijan vs France: 25-year rivalry
The first encounter between Azerbaijani and French clubs took place 25 years ago. Qarabag, as the first Azerbaijani team to qualify for the Intertoto Cup, faced Montpellier in the second round. During this period of Azerbaijani football, it was impossible to resist top European teams, and Montpellier won both matches with a wide margin.
It took 15 years for the next encounter. Qarabag, for the first time in their history, reached the Europa League group stage and competed against Saint-Étienne in the same group. The Azerbaijani champions fought hard against the Ligue 1 representatives and secured a point from each of the two matches.
In the following season, Qarabag once again reached the Europa League group stage, and this time they faced another Ligue 1 side, Monaco. Despite losing away in France, Qarabag managed to secure a draw against the "Principality club" in Baku. With this, Qarabag achieved three consecutive draws against French teams over two seasons.
Two encounters in one season
The 2016/17 season was marked by two encounters between Azerbaijani and French clubs. Gabala, under the management of Roman Hryhorchuk, faced French sides in both the third qualifying round and the group stage.
Gabala made history by eliminating Lille in the Europa League, securing their first victory. However, in the group stage, they couldn’t manage to collect points from their matches against Saint-Étienne.
High-scoring matches and dominant wins
The next two encounters were once again recorded in Qarabag’s name. After exiting the Conference League in the 2021/22 season, Qarabag faced Marseille in the playoffs. The famous French club won both matches with ease.
In the fall of 2022, Qarabag met Nantes in the Europa League group stage. This time, the matches were notable for their high-scoring nature, with none of the last four encounters seeing fewer than three goals. In their final match in Baku, Qarabag triumphed with a dominant 3-0 victory. This was the club's first-ever win against French teams and the second such victory in Azerbaijani football history.
This also remains the only significant win for our clubs over French teams. Interestingly, the French teams' first and last visits to Baku ended with the same scoreline. While Montpellier celebrated 25 years ago, it was Qarabag who celebrated in 2022.
Key Matches:
1. 1999/2000 – Intertoto Cup, 2nd round
- Qarabag 0-3, 0-6 Montpellier
2. 2014/15 – Europa League, Group Stage
- Qarabag 0-0, 1-1 Saint-Étienne
3. 2015/16 – Europa League, Group Stage
- Monaco 1-0, 1-1 Qarabag
4. 2016/17 – Europa League, Third Qualifying Round
- Lille 1-1, 0-1 Gabala (Gabala progresses)
- Saint-Étienne 1-0, 2-1 Gabala
5. 2021/22 – Conference League, Playoff Round
- Marseille 3-1, 3-0 Qarabag
6. 2022/23 – Europa League, Group Stage
- Qarabag 3-0, 1-2 Nantes
The Qarabag vs Lyon match is scheduled for November 28 at Tofig Bahramov Stadium in Baku.
Idman.biz
