The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 got underway last week, and though several outstanding performances made headlines, the one that made me stand up and take note was the performance of the Azerbaijani football club, Qarabag.
Qarabag FK became the first club from Azerbaijan to win a match in the UEFA Champions League Main Draw after the Club, based in Baku and originally from Aghdam in the Karabakh region, beat the much-fancied Benfica in a thrilling encounter.
The match played at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, was one to remember for the visitors. Benfica with a rich footballing history and one of the better clubs in Europe, took the early lead and by the 16th minute were 2-0 ahead through fine goals from Barrenechea and Pavlidis. The home fans were delighted and were expecting a comprehensive win for their team.
Qarabag, coached by Gurban Gurbanov, appeared a bit shaken initially but then regrouped and staged a dramatic recovery.
I was extremely impressed by Kady Borges, who, with his speed and ball control, was imperious in the midfield and, along with Leandro Andrade and Abdellah Zoubir, moved brilliantly to peg back Benfica. Eventually, Andrade scored in the 30th minute, and the match could have been brought to an even keel before halftime, but CA Duran hit the post in a terrific move.
The pressure had turned turtle as Qarabag raised their game further and Benfica got themselves into a defensive mindset, just trying to hold on and keep the opposition at bay. But Duran produced a superb strike to make it 2-2.
Substitute Oleksiy Kashchuk of Ukraine then came up with his own magic in the 86th minute. He controlled the ball in the box with his back to the goal, turned in a flash, and scored with a brilliant finish. The stadium was stunned into silence. Qarabag had taken a 3-2 lead. A comfortable victory had turned into a possible despairing loss.
Qarabag held sway and managed to win. Gurbanov and the Qarabag team fell to their knees in sheer joy. They had achieved the unexpected, and that too with some brilliant football. The quality of play was flamboyant from Qarabag. The passing was deft, the speed unmatched, and the finishing was world class. Benfica were caught on the wrong foot.
Qarabag made history, and it would be interesting to see how they perform at home against Copenhagen on the 1st of October, in their second match of the Champions League.
Qarabag has left a lasting impression on me, and I shall keep track of their progress.
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