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Qarabag play host to Braga at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League knockout-stage playoff on Thursday.
Artur Jorge’s men will need to be at their best here as they attempt a remarkable comeback, having suffered a 4-2 loss in Portugal last Thursday.
No one associated with the club could have envisaged how Qarabag stormed to victory in Portugal as they edged out Braga 4-2 at the Estadio Braga Municipal.
Thirty-two-year-old midfielder Abdellah Zoubir put the home side to the sword as he scored twice and set up one more to fire the Azerbaijan outfit to a famous victory.
Qarabag have now gone unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches, a run which has seen them rise to the top of the Azerbaijan Premier League table.
Elsewhere, Braga needed an 85th-minute winner from substitute Cher Ndour to scrap a narrow 2-1 victory over Farense in the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday.
Manager Artur Jorge will hope the weekend result can inspire his side as they look to overturn their two-goal deficit in the Europa League this Thursday.
However, results on the road offer little optimism as Braga have lost three of their four away games since the turn of the year.
Qarabag vs Braga Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the second-ever meeting between Qarabag and Braga, with the Azerbaijan side claiming a 4-2 victory when they first met in last Thursday’s reverse fixture.
- Qarabag are unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches across all competitions, claiming 13 wins and two draws since mid-November.
- Braga have lost all but one of their four away matches since the turn of the year, with a 2-1 victory at Famalicao on January 18 being the exception.
- Qarabag have lost just one of their last eight home games while claiming six wins and one draw since the second week of November.
Qarabag vs Braga Prediction
After a poor showing in the first leg, Braga will need to take their A-game to the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium as they look to turn the tie on its head. However, we predict the hosts will hold out for a share of the spoils and secure an aggregate victory.
Prediction: Qarabag 2-2 Braga
Qarabag vs Braga Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in Qarabag’s last seven outings)
Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have also been three or more goals scored in the hosts’ last seven matches)
