Qarabag began their UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign strongly, securing a decisive 3-0 victory over Shelbourne FC in the first leg of their second-round clash on July 23, 2025[1][2]. The match, held at Tolka Park, saw goals from Leandro Andrade (12′), Oleksiy Kashchuk (81′), and Nariman Akhundzade (85′), giving the Azerbaijan champions a substantial aggregate advantage[2].
The second leg is set to take place on July 30, 2025, at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku, where Shelbourne faces a difficult task to overturn the deficit[1][3]. Qarabag’s dominant performance and superior attacking statistics suggest they are well positioned to advance, while Shelbourne’s struggles in front of goal have left them with a mountain to climb[4].
Heading into this tie, Qarabag had wrapped up their domestic season as league champions, finishing 15 points clear at the top, while Shelbourne’s return to European competition after a lengthy absence now appears likely to end prematurely unless they can produce a dramatic turnaround in the return leg[1].