ISTANBUL

Azerbaijani football club Qarabag made history on Wednesday by becoming the first club from Azerbaijan to score back-to-back wins in the UEFA Champions League group stage, following a 2-0 victory at home over Copenhagen.

The triumph came just a week after Qarabag’s landmark 3-2 away game win against Portuguese giants Benfica on Sept. 16 — the team’s first-ever Champions League group stage victory.

With these two straight wins, Qarabag sit in 6th place with 6 points in the league phase and is emerging as one of the surprise stories of the tournament. 

They are set to face Spain’s Athletic Bilbao away in the third week of the group stage.  

5 wins in 6 qualifying matches

Qarabag went through three qualifying rounds to compete in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League after winning five out of six matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding five.

In the second qualifying round, the Azerbaijani team defeated Ireland's Shelbourne 3-0 in their first leg away game and went on to win the second leg at home 1-0, allowing Qarabag to advance to the next qualifying round.

In the third qualifying round, Qarabag faced off against Shkendija, defeating the North Macedonian team 1-0 away and 5-1 at home to advance to the playoffs.

In the playoff round, after defeating Hungary's Ferencvaros 3-1 away in their first match and losing 3-2 at home in the second leg, Qarabag secured a place in the league stage of the UEFA Champions League.  

Azerbaijan's representative in European football

Qarabag has made history as the first Azerbaijani team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage, to advance from the group stage in the UEFA Conference League, and to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

In the 2017-18 season, the Azerbaijani team competed in the Champions League group stages, managing two draws and four losses in six group matches. This season, they will play eight matches in the league phase and have already started with two significant wins. 

Second-lowest squad market value

Despite their performance, Qarabag rank 35th out of 36 clubs in the Champions League in terms of squad market value, at approximately €25 million ($29.3 million) — a figure that matches the value of a single star player at many top clubs.

Only Kazakhstan’s Kairat ranks lower.  

- President Aliyev congratulates the team

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Qarabag for defeating Benfica and Copenhagen in the first two weeks of the UEFA Champions League.

"Qarabag, which achieved two brilliant victories in two matches in the main stage of the world's strongest club tournament, continues to make our people proud by sharing the top spot with giants of world football," Aliyev said in a statement.  

The Kurbanov effect

Qarabag’s success is closely linked to manager Kurban Kurbanov, who is credited with opening a new chapter for the team since taking the job in 2008.

Under Kurbanov's management, Qarabag have won 11 league championships and the Azerbaijan Cup six times.

In previous statements, Kurbanov acknowledged the support Qarabag has received from Turkish fans, saying: "As an Azerbaijani and a Turkish son, I thank the Turkish people. We are truly brothers and have always stood by each other. We have been together in both joy and adversity. I have great respect and trust in the Turkish people. They see us as their own team. A large number of Turkish fans support us away from home."