Shelbourne – Qarabag

The champion of Azerbaijan will defeat the opponent in the away match.

Irish Shelbourne had a remarkable season on the national stage last year. The team became champions for the first time in a long time, managing to break the hegemony of Shamrock Rovers. This club finished two points behind Shelbourne, losing the gold medals of the national championship for the first time in five years. Thus, Shelbourne earned the right to participate in European competitions for the first time in a long time and even in the strongest of them. The last time this team tested itself on the continental stage was 22 years ago when they were knocked out in the first round of the UEFA Cup qualifiers. Shelbourne represents one of the mediocre teams in the second round of qualifiers, with a squad valued at 3 million euros. Qarabag has not played a single match this season, but last season's Azerbaijani championship was won effortlessly, finishing fifteen points ahead of their closest competitor. The squad of Qarabag is eight times more valuable than that of the upcoming opponent, and the two most expensive players of the Azerbaijani team, Kadi and Leandro Andrade, nearly match the total estimated value of the entire Shelbourne roster. Betting companies have made the visitors the favourites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.68 on their victory. Despite the triumph in the Irish championship last season, Shelbourne has returned to the status of a mediocre team this season. After 25 rounds, the club occupies fifth place, trailing leaders Shamrock Rovers by fourteen points. Shelbourne will play the second round of qualifiers. In the first round, they faced their neighbours from Northern Ireland - Linfield. The opponents drew in Belfast, while Shelbourne justifiably celebrated victory in Dublin. The champion of Azerbaijan will begin the season in the Champions League qualifiers for the tenth time in the last eleven years. Although Qarabag has only qualified for the group stage once, this team has plenty of experience in European competitions. Shelbourne will face a completely different level of play - incomparably higher than in the previous round. Most likely, Qarabag will take control of the game from the start and achieve victory in the first encounter with Shelbourne.