In what will be the maiden meeting between both clubs, Shelbourne welcome serial UEFA Champions League preliminary campaigners Qarabag FK to Tolka Park on Tuesday for the first leg of the second qualifying round.

The Irish champions edged past Linfield in an all-island showdown to make it to this phase, while the visitors automatically progressed to this stage after winning the 2024-25 Azerbaijan Premier League.

Match preview

A dogged 1-0 win in Dublin gave Shelbourne a foothold in the previous round before they saw out the job with a 1-1 draw in Belfast, and given their long absence from Europe’s top flight, it has been a commendable return to continental action.

The Reds are back in the UCL for the first time since 2006 after ending an 18-year wait for the League of Ireland title, but things have not quite gone according to plan in the top flight this term, with the team sitting fifth and five points behind third-placed Derry City despite having played a game more.

The silver lining for Shelbourne is the noticeable uplift in performance since Joey O'Brien stepped in on June 22 following Damien Duff’s resignation.

O'Brien has not lost any of his six games in charge and masterminded a commanding 4-0 victory over Fairview Rangers in the second round of the FAI Cup at the weekend. 

The Irish manager has also overseen two wins from two at home, including that narrow triumph over Linfield, so the hosts have every reason to approach Tuesday night with cautious optimism as they continue their push for a first-ever appearance in the Champions League proper.

Meanwhile, Qarabag are no strangers to this stage of the competition, making their eleventh appearance in the UCL qualifiers in the past 12 seasons after yet another domestic triumph.

The Horsemen closed out the Azerbaijan season with four straight wins to clinch the title, but they fell short in the cup final, losing 3-2 after extra time to Sabah Baku.

Gurban Gurbanov’s men have not played a competitive game since, and although they took on four friendly matches to prepare, Qarabag were on the losing side in three of those.

Their most recent outing ended in a 2-1 defeat to Salzburg, a result that followed another away defeat, showing how the Horsemen have been vulnerable on the road. 

Shelbourne Champions League form:

Shelbourne form (all competitions):

Qarabag FK form (all competitions):

Team News

Shelbourne head coach O'Brien rang the changes at the weekend but is expected to recall a full-strength line-up for this all-important midweek clash.

The Irishman is likely to adopt a more positive set-up than the 5-3-2 used in Belfast, perhaps reverting to the shape that brought success in the home leg of the previous round.

Conor Kearns should return between the sticks, while the back four could feature Evans Caffrey, Kameron Ledwidge, Paddy Barrett and James Norris.

Ademipo Odubeko, who netted the decisive goal against Linfield, is expected to lead the line once more and may partner Sean Boyd, who set up one and impressed at the weekend.

Qarabag arrive with a near-full squad, with goalkeeper Amin Ramazanov the only absentee as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.

The visitors have been active in the transfer market, bringing in right back Dani Bolt, alongside midfielders Pedro Bicalho and Chriso, with the former two already integrated into the starting eleven during pre-season.

While Chriso is still awaiting his debut, Bolt and Bicalho could feature again on Tuesday, with Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev expected to start in goal.

Shelbourne possible starting lineup:

Kearns; Caffrey, Barrett, Ledwidge, Norris; Wood, Coyle, Lunney, McInroy; Odubeko, Boyd

Qarabag FK possible starting lineup:

Mahammadaliyev; Bayramov, Mustafazada, Silva, Bolt; Bicalho, Jankovic; Zoubir, Borges, Andrade, Akhundzade

We say: Shelbourne 1-1 Qarabag FK

Shelbourne enter as underdogs, but Qarabag have been in poor form recently, which could tilt things toward a tightly contested draw in Dublin.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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