Champions League Qual.: Shelbourne – Qarabag 23/07/2025

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At first glance, this second-round Champions League qualifier might not seem like the most popular or attractive tie, but it offers solid ground for a well-thought-out prediction and bet.

Clubs from Ireland don’t typically compete at the highest professional level, it’s more of a semi-professional standard. However, from time to time, they manage to shine on the European stage and reach group competitions like the Europa Conference League. Interestingly, Shelbourne from the Republic of Ireland faced Linfield from Northern Ireland in the first round and narrowly progressed with a 2-1 aggregate win after two tightly contested matches.

Qarabag, representing Azerbaijan, is a club with considerable experience in European competitions. They’ve played in the Europa League group stage around ten times, with their best result being a Round of 16 appearance two years ago, nearly pulling off an upset against Bayer Leverkusen. They also participated in the Champions League group stage back in the 2017/18 season, drawing twice with Atletico Madrid in that campaign.

Why should Qarabag win this comfortably?
Shelbourne’s squad is made up mostly of Irish players, along with a few from Scotland and England. Their likely approach will be to slow the game down and focus on defensive solidity. However, Qarabag recently played strong friendlies against Twente and Salzburg, and those matches clearly showed the difference in quality. The Azeri side features four Brazilian players and several other solid internationals who significantly raise the team’s level.

If Qarabag manage to break through early, Shelbourne’s defensive line might not hold up, potentially deciding the tie already in the first leg. That’s why the bet on an away win with 2 or more goals scored makes a lot of sense. For those chasing higher odds, Qarabag to score 3+ goals is also a decent option.