“Neftchi is currently in the relegation zone. They haven’t been in great form in recent matches,” said Tarlan Ahmadov, the veteran Azerbaijani footballer, in an interview with Idman.biz.
He shared his thoughts on the upcoming match between Neftchi and Zira in the 14th round of the Azerbaijan Premier League. The former captain of the Black Whites stated that the match would be challenging for both teams:
"Zira has lost their last two games and hasn’t been playing very consistently. Last year, they were much more stable. If they lose this match, they could face difficulties in staying in the top positions. It's also possible that the team may experience psychological struggles."
According to Ahmadov, Neftchi has no other option but to win:
“They’re gradually slipping to the bottom of the table. Since Samir Abasov joined, they’ve only won one match, and that was against Sabail. The team hasn’t been able to show any solid performance, and there’s been no noticeable change. We’ll see how they’ve used the break due to the national team matches and whether they’ve addressed their shortcomings. For this club, everything starts from scratch. That’s how it should be. It’s hard to believe that Black Whites can reach the top spots. At the very least, they need to climb above the bottom positions. Finishing 7th or 8th is unacceptable for Neftchi. They should aim to finish 5th. They have enough potential for that. Especially with the gaps in their defense, one of their weaknesses is their inability to create enough goal-scoring chances. In such cases, they can't put pressure on their opponents."
Ahmadov mentioned that Zira would likely play more defensively and rely on counter-attacks: “I believe the team that is stronger will win. However, I can’t predict which team will take the 3 points. But I do expect a better performance from Neftchi.”
The match between the two teams will take place at 19:00 at the Neftchi Arena.
Banuchichek Huseynli
Idman.biz
