Linfield continue their Europa League campaign against Qarabag on Thursday night.
David Healy's Blues are on the cusp of glory, with the winners of the two-legged tie qualifying for the group stages of the competitions.
But it is a massive challenge for the Irish League champions.
Here's some background information on Qarabag ahead of Thursday's first leg at Windsor Park:
Qarabag Profile
Manager : Gurban Gurbanov
Home stadium : Azersun Arena
Capacity : 5,800
Domestic league : Azerbaijan Premier League
2018/19 finish : 1st
Are they any good?
Qarabag are one of the most successful Azerbaijani clubs of all time and have played in the group stages of Europe’s club competitions in each of the past five seasons. They’ve won the Azerbaijani league for the last six years in a row, and were in the Champions League group stages two years ago where they played Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Roma. They’ve already beaten Dundalk in the Champions League qualifiers this summer.
How are they in the Europa League qualifiers?
They surprisingly lost out to Apoel Nicosia in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, losing the second leg at home. That saw them automatically go into this round of the Europa League.
What's their squad like?
Qarabag have players from Brazil, Spain, France, Bulgaria, Morocco, Senagal and Azerbaijan in their squad. They possess a good blend of youth and experience. Their two wide players - Richard Almeida de Oliveira and Simeon Slavchev - are dangerous. Fortunately, Richard and influential defender Rahil Mammadov are both suspended for Thursday's first leg. However, they have a Spanish midfielder by the name of Michel who is worth watching.
Form guide
What's their away form like?
En route to winning their domestic league last season they registered more points, won more games and scored more regularly when on their travels (W11 D2 L1, GF35 GA10). In Europe, they have only lost twice in their previous nine away encounters (W4 D3 L2). Three of their four away matches in last season’s qualifying rounds produced one goal or less, highlighting their defensive capabilities on the road.
How is their league campaign going?
They have only played one game in their domestic season, beating FC Inter Baku 1-0 last Friday.
Thursday's betting odds
Linfield 15/2
Qarabag 3/10
Draw 19/5
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