Qarabag have made history by reaching the Round of 16 in a European competition for the very first time. They did so by only losing twice in the group stages – both times to Bayer Leverkusen – and finishing as runners-up ahead of clubs such as Molde and Hacken.
The Azerbaijan outfit have long been viewed as European minnows given their lack of progression in competitions and a rather unattractive and non-competitive division compared to others on the continent.
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How far away is Qarabag?
However, the last two seasons has seen them pick up points against clubs such as Molde, Olympiacos, Freiburg and Nantes which shows they are now beginning to showcase the solid outfit they are. A lot of Qarabag's wins have come at home, and it's no surprise given how far away they are from the rest of Europe's big hitters.
When Leverkusen travel to Qarabag, they will be embarking on a huge journey which will come in at around 5,088 there and back, although it certainly didn't impact the Bundesliga leaders in the group stages.
Qarabag first qualified for the group stages of a European competition back in 2014 when they featured in the Europa League. It was to be a memorable campaign for the Azerbaijani side who picked up a point against Inter Milan as well as winning their first-ever match, a 1-0 victory against FC Dnipro.
Since that season, Qarabag have managed to navigate through qualifying rounds and participate in European competitions in every single campaign. They've not been the whipping boys many would expect, having picked up some memorable results along the way.
The history of Qarabag in Europe
There have been numerous big games which are now etched into Qarabag's history. Picking up draws against Inter Milan in 2014, and Monaco in 2015 before then holding Atletico Madrid to a draw in both home and away games back in the 2017 edition of the Champions League.
Since 2022 though, Qarabag have really stepped up their game and are no longer seen as a team who are easy to win against and has even caused some upsets. A 3-0 home victory against Ligue 1 outfit Nantes was a major step forward and allowed them to feel more confident heading into some games.
That same campaign saw Qarabag record an emphatic and even more impressive 3-0 win away to Olympiacos. Three second-half strikes included two in the 82nd and 86th minutes respectively which helped them advance to the knockout stages.
Arguably their biggest-ever win was early this year when they beat Braga 4-2 away from home in the first leg and put them in the driver's seat for qualification. This is now the furthest Qarabag have ever reached in a European competition. However, they face Bayer Leverkusen, the only team they failed to beat in the group stages earlier this season.
Qarabag players to watch out for
Juninho
If Qarabag are going to have any chance of causing an upset against Bayer Leverkusen, they will need their top scorer to be on form. Juninho currently has 21 goals in 39 appearances for his club this season with three of them coming in the Europa League.
Juninho failed to score against Leverkusen during the group stages so will have an added incentive to right the wrongs from earlier in the season. The Brazilian is going to be Qarabag's most likely scorer against Leverkusen and can be found with odds of 7/2 to score anytime.
Julio Romao
Qarabag are going to have to make things uncomfortable for Xabi Alonso's team and not allow them to get into a rhythm if they wish to cause an upset. So, Julio Romao will likely add to his tally of 17 Europa League fouls, the most in the competition.
The combative Brazilian is not afraid of getting stuck into challenges and will gladly pick up a booking if it's for the benefit of his side, so odds of 7/4 for him to be cautioned look very tempting.
Yassine Benzia
Yassine Benzia is Qarabag's most experienced player at the very top level of European football having played for Lyon, Lille and Fenerbahce so a lot of pressure will be put onto his shoulders in this tough two-legged affair.
Benzia has four goal involvements in the Europa League throughout his career with one goal and one assist coming with his current club. While he doesn't have the impressive goalscoring record as Juninho this season, his ability to drop in between the lines is crucial for Qarabag when attacking.
The Algerian international will be hoping to remind the rest of Europe about the ability he has when in good form and there's no better stage to do it on than against the best German side at the minute.
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