Today, 9 more matches will be held in the 3rd round of the UEFA Champions League League phase.
The "Qarabağ" club, representing Azerbaijan, will face "Athletic - Bilbao" on their trip to Spain.
The match, which will be held at the "San Mames" stadium, will be officiated by a team of referees from Croatia.
"Qarabağ" has won both of its previous matches, while "Athletic" has not yet gained any points.
Renowned TV journalist, football commentator Rövşən Binnətli stated that the “Qarabağ” club is approaching the match against “Athletic" as a leader:
“The Champions League is a football tournament where participating teams want to show their best side. “Qarabağ”’s start was even better than expected. Two wins from two matches is a surprising result for many – even if they don't admit it. That does not mean that “Qarabağ” does not deserve these victories. On the other hand, let's look at “Athletic-Bilbao”: they have played two matches and lost both. If we approach it from such a statistical point of view, “Qarabağ” is going into the match as a leader, while “Athletic” is an “outsider”. However, reality promises something else. As one of the leading teams in the Spanish championship, “Athletic-Bilbao” has qualified for the Champions League, which itself is an indicator of the club's strength. Therefore, if “Qarabağ” loses in today's match, it should absolutely not be considered a negative aspect of the team's performance, as in 'they went in as a leader and lost'.
The fact that “Athletic Bilbao” has no points increases the importance of the match for them. The encounter with “Qarabağ” is almost like a final for “Athletic”. The club's result gives “Qarabağ” a psychological advantage to play without pressure. That is, they have won two matches and have maximum points, so they can play without pressure.
The head coach of “Athletic-Bilbao” stated that they must prevent “Qarabağ” from playing their own game. “Qarabağ”, of course, will try to play its own game. “Qarabağ” likes to play offensively; sitting in passive defense is not in the team's character.”
According to R. Binnətli, for “Qarabağ” not to lose in today's match, or at least to draw, would be a very good result:
“It is very difficult to predict the outcome of the match. I have considerable hope that “Qarabağ” will achieve the desired result in today's match. The probability of “Qarabağ” not losing is high. However, even if they lose, it would not be right to count it as a negative for the team. God willing, the targeted result will be achieved. In fact, with two victories, “Qarabağ” has raised both the country's club ranking and its own club ranking. It is also not right to approach the matter solely from the perspective of ranking and finances. The Champions League is the most prestigious club tournament in the world. No other tournament can be compared to it. While Azerbaijani football is in a dire state, our team achieving these results is, in itself, a fantastic indicator. Therefore, I believe that “Qarabağ” will continue its worthy representation in the match against “Athletic-Bilbao” as well. As for the result, sometimes you play well and lose, and sometimes you play poorly and gain points.”
