FC Twente v Qarabag: Conference League Prediction

Until a few weeks ago, FC Twente had high hopes for the new football season. After finishing fourth last year, the Tukkers qualified for the Europa League qualifying round. However, things went completely wrong against Ferencváros, meaning they now only stand a chance of securing a place in the group stage of the Conference League.

It’s a sad truth, but even that is going to be a tough challenge. The fact is, they’re facing Qarabag in the play-offs – the team that did so well in the Champions League just last year. We’ll tell you more about this match and treat you to our FC Twente v Qarabag prediction.

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FC Twente v Qarabag preview

Can FC Twente, with the support of their passionate home crowd, secure a good result against this renowned side from Azerbaijan? It’s clear that Vak P will need to be at their best, giving FC Twente that little bit of a boost. Before we get to that, here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

FC Twente

It has been a truly remarkable season for FC Twente. Following the debacle in Budapest, John van den Brom’s side have also produced mixed results in the Eredivisie. In addition, there is some internal unrest surrounding Sam Lammers, the highly-rated striker who was suddenly relegated to third-choice striker. Erik ten Hag then came under fire as well, as he was the one who had criticised Dutch football for its lacklustre performances in Europe. And that is precisely what FC Twente are currently grappling with. Will they manage to get everyone pulling in the same direction again?

Qarabag

For Qarabag, the domestic league has yet to begin. Incidentally, they’ll be going into this knowing that they didn’t win the league last year. It was, in fact, Sabah Baku who, quite surprisingly, were crowned Azerbaijan’s champions. As a result, we won’t be seeing Qarabag in the ‘Billion Ball’ this year – the tournament in which they picked up a surprisingly high number of points last year. After Gurban Gurbanov’s side were knocked out by CSKA Sofia in the Europa League qualifying rounds, they now face the battle to qualify for the Conference League. Will they live up to their role as favourites?

Head-to-Head

It may sound a bit strange, but Thursday evening’s match at the Grolsch Veste will be the seventh time these two sides have faced each other. They have met twice in pre-season friendlies, whilst they have already faced each other four times in European competition. Qarabag have won once, FC Twente have come out on top twice, and the match has ended in a draw on three occasions. In short: the two sides are certainly evenly matched.

Predicted line-ups

FC Twente (4-1-4-1):

Unnerstall, Adelgaard, Nijstad, Pröpper, van Rooij, Weidmann, Zerrouki, Orjasaeter, Rots, Pjaca, Weghorst

Qarabag (4-2-3-1):

Zlomislic, Cafarquliyev, Husejnovic, Varkonyi, Matheus, Jankovic, Pedro Bicalbo, Zoubir, Kady Borg, Mouaddib, Kashchuk

FC Twente v Qarabag betting tips

Betting tip 1: Asian Handicap +0.5 for Qarabag

We can’t deny that we’re hoping FC Twente will progress. Yet we do have our doubts. The Tukkers haven’t exactly made a convincing start to the season and are up against an opponent with plenty of European experience. It’s no coincidence that they won away at SL Benfica just last year. We reckon the visitors will at least secure a draw. This results in an Asian Handicap of +0.5 for Qarabag, a bet that offers you odds of 2.25.

Betting tip 2: Both teams to score – NO

Of course, we’d have loved to treat you to a betting tip on a goal, assist or shot on target by any player. Unfortunately, this isn’t available for matches in the qualifying rounds of European tournaments. That is why we are opting for a betting tip that could prove successful, based on Qarabag’s latest results. In the last seven matches they’ve played, there has consistently been only one team to score – or none at all. We’re sticking to this trend. ‘Both teams to score – NO’ gives you odds of 2.04.

Prediction: FC Twente v Qarabag

Final score: FC Twente 0–1 Qarabag
We’re expecting a very tight 1–0 win for Qarabag. Firstly, because FC Twente are still somewhat inconsistent, but also certainly because Qarabag are actually very solid defensively. They’ve kept a clean sheet in five of their six European matches so far. In short, a 1–0 win for the visitors wouldn’t be a surprise.