Kukesi to record narrow win over Karabakh
On Wednesday night, Kukesi host Karabakh Agdam (Qarabag) in the Champions League qualifying second round.
Albanian outfit Kukesi got to this stage by beating Maltese side Valletta on away goals in the first qualifying round. The first leg in Albania finished 0-0, but the second leg in Malta ended 1-1 and took Kukesi through to this stage of the competition.
The home sides only previous experience in the Champions league was last season when they suffered an away goals defeat themselves against Moldovan side Sheriff. Over their four games in Europe’s elite competition, they have a record of won one, drawn two and lost one.
Kukesi have a strong recent record on home soil, as they are unbeaten in 11 games at home in all competitions. Their strong home form could be the key to progressing to the next round.
Unlike their opponents, Qarabag have picked up a lot of Champions league experience in recent seasons. The Azerbaijani side defeated Slovenian side Olimpija 1-0 on aggregate to progress to the second qualifying round after two tight encounters.
The visitors have a poor recent record in this competition, having won just one of their last nine games in the Champions league. However, last season they made it through to the group stages when they faced the likes of Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Roma, so that poor record is understandable.
Their recent games in Europe’s elite competition have been low scoring, with under 2.5 goals scored in four of their last five games in the competition.
The visitor’s recent away record in the Champions League is poor, as they have won just one of their last five games on their travels. A 1-0 win at Olimpija in the previous round ended a four-game winless run away from home in Europe’s elite competition.
Forebet predicts Kukesi will record a narrow victory in a low scoring game to give themselves a slight advantage heading into next week’s second leg.
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