Qarabag vs. Shelbourne Tips and Odds – 30/07/2025

• Fixture: Qarabağ FK vs Shelbourne FC
• Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025
• Venue: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan

Match Preview

Qarabağ FK welcome Shelbourne FC to Baku for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Qualification tie, holding a commanding 3-0 advantage from the first match. The Azerbaijani champions are favorites at their home ground, renowned for their European pedigree and recent strong performances. For Shelbourne, the trip to Azerbaijan represents a chance to restore pride and perhaps stage an unlikely comeback.

The form guide underlines Qarabağ’s status as strong favorites. In the first leg, they dominated Shelbourne 3-0 in Dublin, displaying their attacking quality and tactical discipline. Prior to that, Qarabağ’s form included competitive displays against continental sides in friendlies and European fixtures, though recent matches saw them face some adversity with defeats to Salzburg and Olympiakos, showing they are not unbeatable. Shelbourne, meanwhile, had earned their qualifying spot by beating Linfield over two legs and are performing credibly in domestic competition with a string of hard-fought results, including a win over Cork City and draws with Galway and Waterford.

Squad news ahead of the game will be a factor. Qarabağ seem to have largely recovered from previous fitness concerns. Midfielder Aleksey Isayev has recently returned to training, though experienced defender Badavi Huseynov remains a doubt, with his participation not yet confirmed after individual training following injury. However, there are no reports of new suspensions for the home side, allowing them to field a largely full-strength lineup. For Shelbourne, the situation appears more problematic. There have been recent suspensions and injuries within the camp: Sean Gannon was suspended in late May, and staff member David McAllister recently served a ban, though both may now be eligible. There are also a few players at risk due to accumulated yellow cards, and minor injury concerns persist, which could affect defensive stability.

Key players to watch for Qarabağ include creative midfielder Kady Borges, influential attacker Abdellah Zoubir, and top scorer Musa Qurbanlı, all of whom contributed to their decisive win in Dublin and provide significant goal threats. At the back, captain Bahlul Mustafazada will anchor an experienced defensive line. Shelbourne will rely heavily on forward Mipo Odubeko, their leading scorer, and attacking midfielder Jack Moylan for a spark up front. Goalkeeper Conor Kearns is likely to be busy again, and experienced campaigners such as Mark Coyle and Shane Farrell must be on top of their game for the Irish side to have a chance.

Given the current aggregate and recent head-to-head, Qarabağ are likely to control proceedings and see out the tie with a professional performance. Shelbourne’s best hope may be to keep things tight and seize opportunities on the counter, but with Qarabağ’s attacking potential and experience on the continental stage, an upset looks very unlikely. Expect the hosts to win the match or cruise through with a comfortable draw.

Betting Markets

Qarabağ should advance comfortably, but European nights can always surprise. Shelbourne will aim to defy expectations and write their own history, but they have a mountain to climb in Baku