LUDOGORETS will take on Qarabag in the second leg of their Champions League third-round qualifier on Tuesday night with a place in the playoff round at stake.
Ludogorets pulled off a shock victory in Azerbaijan last week, defeating Qarabg 2-1 so they are in the driving seat coming into the second leg.
Qarabag have it all to do but they are still the stronger team on paper which sets us up perfectly for what should be a tense night in Bulgaria.
How the bookies view it: Qarabag backed to win on the road
Despite losing last week and now being the away team, Qarabag are still considered the favourites to win on Tuesday night. Ludogorets are the slight underdogs with Betfred and have been priced at 13/8 while a Qarabag victory has been priced at 11/8. A draw, which would be enough for Ludogorets to make it through to the Champions League playoffs, has been priced at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: Advantage Ludogorets
Both of these teams have become regulars in European qualifiers in recent seasons but last week was the first time they'd met in a competitive fixture. Prior to that, they had met in two pre-season friendlies. In 2018, the match finished 1-1 then a year later, Ludogorets ran out as 2-0 winners.
Therefore, Qarabag will need to record their first-ever win over Ludogorets if they are to continue their Champions League adventure this season.
Players to watch: Time for some Brazilian flair
Qarabag's Juninho made headlines across Europe last season for his performances during his debut campaign in Azerbaijan. He scored 31 goals in all competitions for his club and as a result, there have been rumours all summer about a potential departure.
As things stand, Juninho is still a Qarabag player which is all that matters for the match against Luduogorets because he will unquestionably be the most talented player on the pitch. The Brazilian has picked up where left off last season, scoring six goals in his first five competitive outings of the new season.
If Ludogorets elect to fight fire with fire on Tuesday then they will be leaning on winger, Bernard Tekpetey. The Ghanaian winger has already scored twice in the Champions League qualifiers this season and will be their most likely route to goal against Qarabag.
Predicted line-ups
Ludogorets suffered a major blow at the end of the first leg when Caio Vidal was sent off which means the Brazlian will miss this one. Vidal had given his team the lead earlire in the match and is expected to be replaced by compatriot, Rwan Seco.
Despite losing the first leg, Qarabag aren't expected to make any changes to their starting XI.
Ludogorets: Bonmann – Son, Almeida, Verdon, Nedyalkov- Duarte, Naressi, Piotrowski – Seco, Tekpetey & Duah
Qarabag: Buntic – Vesovic, Mustafazada, Medina, Bayramov – Jankovic, Romao – Andrade, Benzia, Zoubir – Juninho
Anything else catch the eye?
Only two of the six Champions League qualifying matches that these two teams have been involved in this season have seen more than two goals go in so we aren't anticipating a goalfest on Tuesday night. Under 2.5 goals to be scored is priced at 1/1 with Betfred.
This UEFA Champions League match between Ludogorets and Qarabag will be played on Aug 13, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ludogorets vs Qarabag prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
