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Czech Republic champions Viktoria Plzen will face Azerbaijan champions Qarabag in the second lef of this Champions League qualifying clash, after the two teams settled for a 0-0 draw last week, in the first leg.
Qarabag was able to held on to a 0-0 draw in Plzen, despite not posing much (if any) offensive threat. Their defense did a great job, but the result is not as fantastic as it may seem. Any goal conceded at home could mean disaster from Qarabag, so we might see another defensive minded display from the Azeri team in the reverse leg. Karabakh has not started the domestic league yet, but played a tie against Dudelange (2-0, 1-1) before the double with Plzen.
Viktoria Plzen surely wanted more than a draw in their first official match of the season, the first leg against Qarabag, but they had to settle with that 0-0 draw – which is not that bad considering they kept a clean sheet. Plzen went on to defeat Jihlava over the weekend in the first round of the Czech league, 2-1 away from home.
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Team news: Aside form Baranek (Plzen), who was sent off late in the first leg, the two teams are expected to field very similar lineups to the ones that started last week.
The first leg was not an entertaining affair, Karabakh was a non factor on offense and Plzen couldn’t do much either. There were barely a couple of shots on goal for both teams combined and there’s no reason to expect the second leg to be much different. Actually, considering the first leg result, the circumstances for a low scoring match are stronger than last week.
As previously stated, the 0-0 first leg draw is a dangerous result for Qarabag and they really can’t afford to concede a goal at home, because scoring twice against Plzen will be a very difficult task.
The home side will be very focused to keep a clean sheet and this will contribute to a cagey game, especially as Qarabag plays at home and should be able to impose their preferred style of play and tempo at least for some parts of the game. An early goal can always change the entire perspective for a bet against goals, but I`m not sure it would have a huge impact in this one. If Qarabag scores first you could imagine them defending that lead in numbers, while Plzen would really have no reason to take any risks if they bang in the first – they could just control the match tactically and wait out the final whistle.
My tip is under 2,5 goals to be scored. Odds might not be as high on this bet come game time, so I’m taking it early. Prediction: Qarabag – Viktoria Plzen 0-0 (Plzen to qualify via penalties).
Pick: under 2,5 goals
Odds: 1.68 @ 1xBet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 5.44
Event date: 2 August
