Today.Az » Sports » Qarabag FC will try to show decent game against Chelsea - head coach
22 November 2017 [15:17] - Today.Az


By Azernews


By Rashid Shirinov

Qarabag football club will try to show a decent game in the match with Chelsea, the Azerbaijani team’s head coach Gurban Gurbanov said at a press conference on November 21, a day before the match with the English club within 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage.

He noted that this game is very important for both Qarabag and Chelsea.

“We all understand and know well the strength of the opponent. We will try to fight to the end and make fewer mistakes on the field. This is our last match in Baku,” said Gurbanov.

Touching upon the pressure on the team before the game, the coach noted that the Champions League is the number-one tournament in Europe and the fans are waiting for the best result.

"There is always pressure and this is normal. But we must soberly assess the opponent. We will play with Chelsea – one of the best teams in the world and we will try to show a decent game. All the actions of Chelsea players are coordinated, they deliberately move on the field,” he said.

The head coach added that he believes in his players. “We are not thinking about the third place in the group, but about that the fans would leave the stadium satisfied, even if we lose,” he noted.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has also commented on today’s match.

"We must be attentive. Qarabag tied with Atletico twice, Roma had earlier barely won,” he said at a press conference in Baku, azerisport.com reported.

Conte added that the game against the Azerbaijani team is important, because if Chelsea wins, it will advance to the knockout phase. The Italian coach also said Qarabag is a good team, which always likes to control the ball.

The match of the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage between Azerbaijani Qarabag FC and English Chelsea FC will be held on Wednesday, November 22 at 21:00 (GMT+4) at the Baku Olympic Stadium. Portuguese Manuel De Sousa will referee the game.

Qarabag earned their first ever Champions League point when they played a goalless draw against Atletico in Baku on October 18. Two weeks later, the Azerbaijani team reiterated its success in Madrid by tying with Atletico 1-1.

Currently, the Italian Roma having eight points leads in the Group C, followed by English Chelsea FC with seven points, Atletico with three, while Qarabag is the fourth with two points.

Qarabag FC, which is seeking to become the champion of Azerbaijan for the fifth time in a row, began its Champions League campaign in mid-July in the second qualifying round. Wins over Georgian FC Samtredia and Moldovan FC Sheriff took the team to the playoff, where it beat Danish FC Copenhagen and advanced to the Champions League group stage thanks to an away goal.

Qarabag is among few clubs worldwide with a refugee status. After the occupation of the city of Agdam by the Armenian militaries in 1993, the team was compelled to leave its hometown and settled in Baku.










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