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An interview with Zaur Hashimov, former defender of Qarabag, to Sportal.az
- Qarabag will play its first game in the new format of the Champions League today. How do you assess Qarabag's performance in the last match against Zira?
- I can't say that Qarabag played their best game in the match against Zira. Of course, it is also necessary to evaluate Zira's performance. One of the reasons is that Qarabag's players were in the national team camp, so they did not prepare for this game with a full squad. Today, however, Qarabag will play in a completely different atmosphere. The first game of the Champions League is a very responsible test.
- What result do you think Qarabag can hope for away against Benfica? Do you expect a successful result from your former team?
- Benfica is one of the established clubs in Portugal that plays in European cups every season. Although they are currently 5th in Portugal, we are expecting a difficult game. In my opinion, if Qarabag can return from Portugal with one point, it will be a good result for us.
- Expectations from Qarabag were not high in the matches against Braga, but our representative managed to succeed. Do you think that this time the game against a bigger club from the same country will remind you of the match against Braga?
- I am sure that Benfica's coaches analyzed Qarabag's games against Braga. They will treat Qarabag more carefully and with respect. Therefore, we will watch a completely different game than the Qarabag-Braga game.
- Qarabag's failure to sign a striker was much discussed and the club was criticized. Now Nariman Akhundzade is also injured. Musa Gurbanli is the only striker. In the match against Zira, winger Kamilo Duran played as a striker. Do you think it is better for Duran to play in the forward line, or Musa?
- The gap in the attack was quite evident in the match against Zira. Nariman's injury also creates additional difficulties for the coaching staff. In my opinion, Kamilo Duran will be in the starting lineup in the attack line today.
- In general, how many points do you think Qarabag can collect in the Champions League this season? Do you believe in any big surprises? The opponents are Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, Athletic (Bilbao), Copenhagen, Ajax and Eintracht (Frankfurt)...
- Let's admit that all the teams in our group are top clubs. Perhaps Copenhagen can be partially excluded from this list. Therefore, any victory of Qarabag will be recorded as a sensation. If we realistically evaluate the games in the group, I think Qarabag can score 5-6 points.
- Is there a big difference between the squad that Qarabag had when they entered the Champions League group in the 2017/2018 season and the current one? Which one seems stronger?
- In my opinion, the squad in the 2017/2018 season was stronger. The current squad also shows that it is strong by reaching the group stage. It's just that the regulations are different in the Champions League now, and the opponents are very strong. It will be very interesting to watch Qarabag against such teams.
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