Gent vs Qarabag prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-02-22 20:00.
Any hopes Gent have of reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) round of 16 hinge on overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg away to Qarabağ. The Belgian outfit looked set to claim a credible draw until their Azerbaijani counterparts struck late, and after exiting this competition last season after a 1-0 away defeat in their Round of 16 first leg, alarm bells will certainly be ringing.
Gent did at least bounce back from their disappointment in Azerbaijan with a 2-0 Belgian Pro League victory against OH Leuven at the weekend to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish and a spot in the Championship round. A repeat result here would see them through to the next stage, but with just one win from their last five springtime home European fixtures (D1, L3), that would require a real improvement.
Having fallen at this very stage in last season’s inaugural UECL, Qarabağ will be keen to avoid the same plight as they aim to go deeper than ever before into a European competition. That first-leg victory should work in their favour, as historically Qarabağ have won eight of the last nine UEFA ties in which they have led going into the second leg away from home, whilst they come into this clash unbeaten in six matches in all competitions (W4, D2).
Qarabağ's record outside of Azerbaijan this season (W2, D1, L4) would, however, indicate this tie may not be as cut-and-dried as the history books suggests. It’s been a similarly glum story on their travels to Belgium too, losing on their last two visits, while two successive multi-goal margin away defeats in their current UECL campaign indicate this tie is far from over.
Players to watch: Hugo Cuypers opened the scoring in Gent’s weekend clash with Leuven, his fourth successive home scoring appearance in which he has netted the first goal. Competing for first blood will be Qarabağ’s Musa Qurbanlı, who has netted the opening goal in four of his six away scoring appearances this term.
Hot streak: Qarabağ haven’t kept a clean sheet in six successive UECL away games.