Next setback for Franco Foda at FCZ?
Andre Breitenreiter did an excellent job at FC Zurich last season. As recently as the summer of 2021, no one would have thought it even remotely possible that FCZ could win the Super League title for the first time in over ten years. In the end, it was even a sovereign championship for the traditional club, which in recent years had increasingly deteriorated into a sleeping giant.
Almost exactly one year later, the Blue and Whites are now fighting for total happiness in the form of a successful qualification for the Champions League group stage. The first hurdle on the way to the main draw, however, turns out to be quite high. Especially against the background that the reigning title holders have so far not really got into their stride at national or international level.
After the Zurich side lost 3-2 in Azerbaijan a week ago, a prediction on a Swiss victory will definitely have to pay off in Wednesday night’s second leg between FC Zurich and Qarabag Agdam to keep their chances of reaching the group stage alive.
Only a win with a two-goal difference would give coach Franco Foda’s team a direct ticket to the third qualifying round. The answer to the question of whether the former Austrian team boss will immediately have to deal with the next setback at his new station will be revealed at the Letzigrund from 19:00.
FC Zurich – statistics & current form
Only three competitive games have been played by FC Zurich in the new season and already many fans are asking whether it was the right decision to install Franco Foda as Andre Breitenreiter’s successor. This admittedly somewhat premature discussion is, of course, based on the three disappointing performances FCZ put up in the Super League as well as in the CL qualifier.
While the reigning national champions started the league season with one point from two games and without a goal of their own, but with a heavy 4-0 defeat at Young Boys from Bern, the aforementioned first leg in Baku was also lost 3-2 against Qarabag Agdam. In view of the way the game went, the Blue and Whites had to be happy that they only trailed by one goal going into the second leg and therefore still had every chance on paper.
Will FCZ break because of the high expectations?
Despite this, it is no coincidence that the euphoria in the country’s biggest city has flattened noticeably. The departures of coach Andre Breitenreiter or top scorer Assan Ceesay have torn a wider hole than many would have expected. Even shooting star Wilfried Gnonto, who is high on many notepads of European top clubs after his debut with the Italian national team, is no longer in the shape he was in the previous season. On top of that, all the newcomers have so far been insufficiently able to fill their intended roles.
The bottom line, then, is a very weak start to the season, which of course has to be used as an argument before we make our prediction ahead of the second leg between FC Zurich and Qarabag Agdam. Self-confidence has waned and the pressure has increased. All these are not conducive aspects when it comes to making up a deficit from the first leg.
To make matters worse, FCZ has rarely been convincing on the international stage in recent years. Looking back on the past six seasons, they have only reached two group stages. The desire to return to the concert of the greats is palpable, but at the moment the absolute basics are lacking, which is why we would refrain from betting on the Swiss champions between FC Zurich and Qarabag Agdam.
Predicted line-up of FC Zurich:
Brecher; Kamberi, Kryeziu, Aliti, Guerrero; Boranijasevic, Hornschuh, Dzemaili; Rohner, Marchesano, Gnonto
Last matches played by FC Zurich:
Super League
23/07/2022 – FC Zurich 0 – 0 FC Luzern
Champions League Qualification
19/07/2022 – Qarabag FK 3 – 2 FC Zurich
Super League
16/07/2022 – BSC Young Boys 4 – 0 FC Zurich
Friendly club matches
09/07/2022 – VfB Stuttgart 3 – 2 FC Zurich
02/07/2022 – FC Zurich 4 – 1 Altach
Qarabag Agdam – Statistics & current form
Qarabag Agdam have certainly made a name for themselves at international level in recent years. In 2017/18, the Azerbaijani champions qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first and only time. From 2018 to 2020, they made it to the main draw of the Europa League three times in a row. In the previous year, they also made it to the intermediate round of the Conference League.
Especially in the qualifying phases, the Blue and Whites like to show their best form. This was also the case in the first round when, after a 1-0 defeat at Lech Poznan, they won the return match 5-1 (!) in front of their home crowd. It is also interesting to know that the men, who have been based in the capital Baku for several years, have never been eliminated in the second qualifying round of the top flight. They have always made it at least to the third round.
Can Qarabag build on their performance from the previous week?
Apart from that, it was already clear in the first leg a week ago that coach Qurban Qurbanov’s team looks extremely well-rehearsed. Although the season in Azerbaijan only starts at the beginning of August, it is a collective that has grown and has had little turnover in terms of personnel over the years. Although some of the top performers leave the club from time to time, good replacements from Europe, Africa or South America are immediately available.
Partly responsible for the national dominance, which is reflected in five championships in the last six seasons, is of course the aforementioned coach Qurbanov, who has been wielding the sceptre since 2008 and has virtually single-handedly put the club on the European map.
Thanks to his experience and the very good impressions made by the Azerbaijani attack in the last two matches, the odds on the supposed outsiders in the FC Zurich vs Qarabag Agdam match are a little too high in our eyes. Value is therefore to be found in DNB 2 or double chance X2, for example.
Predicted line-up of Qarabag Agdam:
Magomedaliyev; Vesovic, Medina, Medvedev, Bayramov; Almeida, Romao; Kady, Ozobic, Zoubir; Wadji
Last matches played by Qarabag Agdam:
Champions League Qualifier
19/07/2022 – Qarabag FK 3 – 2 FC Zurich
12/07/2022 – Qarabag FK 5 – 1 Lech Poznan
06/07/2022 – Lech Poznan 1 – 0 Qarabag FK
Cup
27/05/2022 – Qarabag FK (4)1 – 1(3) Zira
Premier League
21/05/2022 – Qarabag FK 4 – 1 FK Neftchi
FC Zurich – Qarabag Agdam Direct comparison / H2H record
The first leg a week ago was the first meeting of these two clubs in the European Cup. Qarabag Agdam already led 2:0 at half-time and went ahead again after the intervening goal to make it 3:1. Five minutes before the end, Kryeziu scored the final goal to make it 2:3, which dramatically improved the starting position.
However, it is also clear that the Azerbaijanis’ success fell into the “deserved” category, after all, the home side fired more shots on goal, had more possession and even a clear corner ratio of 10:2 in the end. It remains to be seen whether these figures will now be reversed in the second leg due to the changing home advantage.
FC Zurich – Qarabag Agdam tip
The second leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round could be a decisive one for Franco Foda’s future at FCZ. Should the German coach fail at the first hurdle on the way to the group stage on Wednesday evening, it would be tantamount to the next setback of his still young tenure. He already had to cope with the first two disappointing results in the league against YB Bern (0:4) and Luzern (0:0).
The fact that FC Zurich is favoured against Qarabag Agdam according to the betting odds is something we can only understand to a limited extent, given recent impressions and the performance from the first leg. Instead, we believe the Swiss champions have lost the flow of pre-season and are struggling under key departures. Add to that the growing pressure from the fan base as well as those in charge.
Because the guests from Azerbaijan have also been regulars in international business in recent years and have always even won tickets for the group stages, we think it is perfectly justifiable to play a bet on the supposed underdogs advancing between FC Zurich and Qarabag Agdam.
