Dutch giants Ajax travel to the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium to lock horns with Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
While Ajax have collected four points from their opening two games in the league phase of the competition, opponents Qarabag are yet to pick up a single point.
Match preview
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Qarabag are in fact one of only six sides in the newly-expanded 36-team Europa League who have lost both of their opening two matches, with a 3-0 opening defeat against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur followed by a 2-1 home loss to Malmo three weeks ago.
Gurban Gurbanov's side have impressed on the domestic front so far this term, though, as they have won eight of their opening nine Azerbaijan Premier League fixtures and have score a league-high 25 goals in the process.
Qarabag put Kapaz to the sword 5-0 last weekend, courtesy of a four-goal second-half blitz in the space of just 27 minutes, and they currently sit three points clear at the top of the table, already eyeing up a fourth successive title.
The Horsemen, who reached the Europa League last 16 for the first time in their history last season, have largely struggled on the continental stage. Indeed, of every team to have played at least 50 matches in the Europa League, Qarabag have the highest loss rate in the competition (55% - 29/53).
They have also found it challenging to prevail against Dutch opposition, as they have drawn three and lost one of their last four such encounters, all of which have come in Europa League qualifying against FC Twente, including two 0-0 draws on home soil in 2009 and 2014.
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After crashing out in the Europa League group stage last season before exiting the Conference League in the last 16, Ajax have since made a positive start to their latest European campaign, with a thumping 4-0 opening win against Besiktas followed by a 1-1 draw with 10 men against Slavia Prague three weeks ago.
The Amsterdam-based giants are currently boasting a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions, which was extended last weekend courtesy of a thrilling 4-3 victory away against Heracles in the Eredivisie, with Wout Weghorst scoring two second-half goals - including an 82nd-minute winner - to seal maximum points for the fifth time this season.
Thirty-five-year-old head coach Francesco Farioli, who has won 11 of his first 15 matches since taking the reins in the summer, currently sees his side sitting third in the Eredivisie standings and they are 11 points behind runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven, although they have played two games more.
Ajax are four-time European Cup/Champions League winners who also reached the Europa League final in 2016-17, but they head into Thursday's contest having won just two of their last 15 away matches in the latter competition, failing to win any of their last six on the road.
However, Ajax have only lost one of their last eight matches when facing an opponent for the first time in European competition (W4 D3), including qualification wins over FK Vojvodina and Jagellonia Bialystok in this season's Europa League, which bodes well ahead of their first encounter with Qarabag.
Team News
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Qarabag will be without goalkeeping duo Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev and Amin Ramazanov as they continue to recover from injury. Mateusz Kochalski is expected to start between the sticks against Ajax.
Gurbanov is expected to name his strongest possible lineup, which is set to including star striker Juninho, who has scored six goals in 12 Europa League games for Qarabag - netting one more will see him become the club's joint-top goalscorer in the competition along with winger Abdellah Zoubir, who is also set to start on Thursday.
As for Ajax, Steven Berghuis has returned to training but will not travel with the first-team squad to Azerbaijan, while Kristian Hlynsson (ankle), Julian Rijkhoff (knee), Davy Klaassen (ineligible) and Youri Baas (suspended) are also absent from the squad.
Weghorst, Jordan Henderson, Bertrand Traore and Kian Fitz-Jim have all returned to the Europa League squad after missing the previous match with Slavia Prague, while 16-year-old defender Jorthy Mokio has also been included.
Daniele Rugani could replace Baas and partner Josip Sutalo in central defence, while Brian Brobbey is at risk of losing his starting spot up front having scored just once in 12 appearances so far this season.
Qarabag FK possible starting lineup:
Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazade, Huseynov, Cafarquliyev; Romao, P. Andrade; L. Andrade, Benzia, Zoubir; Juninho
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Rensch, Sutalo, Rugani, Hato; Van den Boomen, Henderson, Taylor; Traore, Weghorst, Godts
We say: Qarabag FK 1-2 Ajax
Both teams have looked strong on the domestic front so far this season, but Ajax have fared better on the continent and they will be regarded as favourites to come out on top against Qarabag.
The hosts have the firepower to cause Ajax problems in the final third, but we are backing the Dutch giants to outscore their opponents and secure their third successive win in all competitions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
