Qarabag defender Elvin Jafarguliyev has laid out what he sees as the blueprint for his side to get something out of a difficult Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Chelsea have had to travel a long way for their latest Champions League outing, taking on the Azerbaijani champions.
It will be interesting to see just how strong Maresca’s XI to take on Qarabag is, with some suggesting this is a great opportunity for rest.
But it’s not going to be a cakewalk. Qarabag are level on points with Chelsea after beating Benfica and Copenhagen in the opening weeks, and defender Jafarguliyev’s comments suggest they are planning for another win against the Blues.
Elvin Jafarguliyev explains how Qarabag can beat Chelsea
None of the opposition are deluding themselves into thinking they aren’t heavy underdogs.
UEFA reported manager Gurban Gurbanov as saying: “The English Premier League is the strongest league in the world. Even if we lose to a team from a league like this, it is no judgment on us.”
Not the most inspiring words from the Qarabag boss, but it’s true.
That being said, Jafarguliyev sees a route to victory, which he lays out plainly: “It’s better that I don’t say anything about their weak points. We have to show that we understand them on the pitch. We have done our analysis; they press high.
“At the same time, they also leave gaps. We have to exploit those.”
He reckons Chelsea will come out swinging, and if they didn’t, fans would have something to say about it. He’s banking on Maresca overextending and leaving space for Qarabag to do damage.
Jafarguliyev respects the danger Chelsea can pose
Even coming from the opposition, it’s great to hear an underdog unafraid and preparing to compete.
But Jafarguliyev isn’t disregarding the quality Chelsea possess.
As he explains: “We know we are up against a big team; we have to be confident, aggressive, patient. All of Azerbaijan will be watching us. We know what Chelsea can do; they will pounce on any mistakes we make. We are ready as a team.”
The Azerbaijani outfit couldn’t have hoped for much better in the opening weeks of this season’s league phase, and they are sure to bring the fight to Chelsea.
Maresca will expect a win, but they will have to earn it. It sounds like Qarabag are banking on complacency seeping in.
We’ll find out soon enough if it does.