Rakow will welcome Qarabag to Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round on Wednesday.

Rakow vs Qarabag Preview

Both teams were flawless in the first qualifying round. Rakow got the better of the Estonian team Flora 3-0 on aggregate while Qarabag won both legs (6-1 on aggregate) against Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar. Rakow won their first title in the Polish top flight last season to qualify for their first-ever UEFA Champions League.

Medaliki took the 2022–23 Ekstraklasa by surprise, besting top guns like Legia Warsaw, Lech Poznań and Pogoń Szczecin to clinch the title. They even established a nine-point gap atop the standings. The hosts will hope to replicate their blazing form in the continental campaign, starting with a home win over Qarabag.

The visitors have been competing in the Champions League since 2014-15. They reached the playoffs in the previous edition before falling to Czech side Viktoria Plzen. Qarabag won the Azerbaijan Premier League last season to qualify for their ninth UEFA Champions League, with a group-stage finish their best performance so far.

Atlılar will enter the meeting on the back of three straight wins and seven goals scored. In a bid to add more firepower to their attack, three new strikers have been recruited including Brazilian Juninho. However, they will miss the services of right-back Abbas Hüseynov, who is yet to return to first-team action due to injury.

Rakow vs Qarabag Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two sides have met only once, with Rakow winning the friendly match 3-0.
• Rakow have won once, drawn twice and lost once in their last five matches at home.
• Rakow have scored nine goals and conceded once in their last five matches.
• Qarabag have won thrice and lost twice in their last five matches on the road.
• Rakow have won four times and lost once in their last five matches while Qarabag have won thrice, drawn once and lost once.

Rakow vs Qarabag Prediction

Bartosz Nowak and Ivi will hopefully continue performing for Rakow in the new season. They scored 10 and nine goals respectively last term, with Ivi also racking up six assists.

Qarabag’s two top scorers Ramil Sheydayev and Musa Gurbanli departed from the team at the end of the season. The duo topped the league’s scoring chart with 22 and 21 goals respectively. Abdellah Zoubir (eight goals) and Leandro Andrade (16 assists) will likely assume those roles.

Rakow are expected to win this leg based on form and home advantage.

Prediction: Rakow 3-1 Qarabag

Rakow vs Qarabag Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Rakow

Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes

Tip 3: Rakow to score first – Yes

Tip 4: Qarabag to score – Yes