Ludogorets (Bul) vs Qarabag (Aze) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2024-08-12 18:00.
[p]A 2-1 victory in the first leg of this UEFA Champions League (UCL) third qualifying round tie saw Bulgarian side Ludogorets take another step towards their first participation in the main draw of Europe’s premier club competition since 2016/17. A draw would suffice to see them through to the final qualifying round, but they’ll hope to advance in style having won the home leg by a two-goal margin in the first and second qualifying rounds.[/p]
[p]The hosts here boast the longest current title-winning streak in Europe with 13 Bulgarian titles in a row, but despite their domestic dominance, they failed to make it past the third UCL qualifying round in six of the last seven seasons. There appear to be signs that they won’t be adding to that dreadful run, as Georgi Dermendzhiev’s men have earned five straight competitive victories on home soil, with four of those triumphs coming by at least a two-goal margin.[/p]
[p]Qarabağ will certainly be kicking themselves for conceding late in the reverse fixture as they were about to secure a 1-1 draw, but the visitors cheered themselves up by recording a comfortable 3-0 league victory on Friday evening over Kapaz PFK which saw them make it two wins from two in the Azerbaijani Premier League this term as they look to defend their title. A similarly offensive performance will be needed here, something which shouldn’t be discounted as the Horsemen have scored 3+ goals in three of their last four games.[/p]
[p]Scoring on their travels hasn’t been a problem recently as QarabaÄź have netted at least two goals in 14 of their last 16 competitive away matches (W12, D1, L3). That record includes their two games on the road in the UEFA Europa League earlier this calendar year, when they surprisingly beat Braga 4-2 and agonisingly lost 3-2 at Bayer Leverkusen – scoring at least twice in the second half on both occasions. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Spanish midfielder Son has contributed to five goals in his last two matches (G2, A3), including a brace of second-half assists in the first leg of this tie. Brazilian star Juninho is on fire for Qarabag as he has scored six goals in his team’s last five outings, with his two most recent strikes arriving after the break – including his equaliser in the reverse fixture.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Ludogorets have led by at least two goals at half-time in four of their last five competitive home matches.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tomáš Vlasák[/i][/p]