D. Zagreb (Cro) vs Qarabag (Aze) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2024-08-19 19:00.
[p]Having fallen in the qualifying rounds last season, Dinamo Zagreb are aiming to go one better this time around and make a return to the UEFA Champions League proper for the first time since 2022/23. A 25th domestic title last season means that the Croatian side are playing their first European contest of this campaign, and they should come into this play-off first leg in a positive mood having started their league season with three successive wins, netting ten goals in the process. [/p]
[p]They’ll welcome Qarabağ looking to continue a strong unbeaten European record against teams from Azerbaijan (W2, D2), with all four of those matches coming in qualifying rounds for this competition. Both the wins came at home, although the last was back in 2011/12, so Dinamo might take more comfort instead from their more recent European home record of winning five of their past eight such matches (D1, L2).[/p]
[p]While the hosts have a solid H2H record against sides from Azerbaijan to lean on, QarabaÄź – bestowed by a break of no domestic game this past weekend – are actually facing a Croatian outfit for the very first time. They’ve also had a chaotic qualifying run so far this term to get here, blowing Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps away 7-0 on aggregate before netting four goals in extra time of their third qualifying round second leg against Ludogorets to secure a remarkable 8-4 aggregate win![/p]
[p]That added to a record of seven wins from their last 11 away European matches (D1, L3), with the Horsemen winning both so far this term. On top of that, Qarabağ’s 2-1 defeat at home to Ludogorets was their only defeat from their six competitive games so far this season (W5), meaning that they’ll travel to Croatia with the confidence that they can move one step closer to reaching the competition’s league phase for the first time since their solo appearance in 2017/18’s group stage equivalent.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Sandro Kulenović has been loving home comforts of late, scoring four goals across his last three home appearances for Dinamo. Yassine Benzia was Qarabağ’s star man in last round’s away win, netting twice and assisting once to take his competition contribution tally to four this season (G3, A1). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Three of Qarabağ’s last four competitive matches have produced a match red card.[/p]
[p][i]Written by David H[/i][/p]