Betting Tip
Let us start with the main point: Qarabag are no makeweights here. Qurban Qurbanov has been in charge of the team since 2008, and this has long been a well-drilled machine with a clear plan for every match. Last autumn, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, the Agdam side beat Benfica in Lisbon (3:2) and Copenhagen at home (2:0). An opponent like this in UEFA Conference League qualifying is almost a mockery of the draw.
Their summer campaign backs that up. Four matches — and not a single goal conceded. They swept aside Icelandic side Vestri twice by 3:0, then drew twice with CSKA Sofia (0:0) and lost only in the penalty shootout (4:5). Qarabag have 390 minutes of European football behind them without conceding, and this is a team that did not need rebuilding in the summer.
Dynamo Kyiv's situation is different. Across the same four qualifying matches, the Kyiv side have scored only two goals. Both came at home to PAOK, in a game they still lost (2:3). Before that, there were two goalless meetings with Universitatea Cluj and progress on penalties. In Thessaloniki, it was 0:2 and complete impotence in attack.
The calendar is making life even harder for Ihor Kostiuk. The UPL first-round match against Livyi Bereh has been moved to 2 December. The nominal home game will be played in Lublin, where there will be none of the usual pressure from the stands. The bookmakers have made the Kyiv side favourites because of their name and ranking. In terms of the football itself, Qarabag are stronger: they do not concede, they know how to defend against higher-class teams, and they can take the result they need from a first leg. A draw here is an entirely workable scenario, and the handicap (0) covers it.