Qarabağ vs Viktoria Plzeň facts

Having both come through multiple qualifying rounds, Qarabağ and Viktoria Plzeň meet in Baku for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off with a return to the group stage on the horizon.

While the Azerbaijan club have already won three ties in this season's competition, their Czech opponents have two aggregate victories to their name, both teams knocking out recent group stage participants in the third qualifying round.

Previous meetings
The sides' only past contests came in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, Plzeň progressing on away goals thanks to Michael Krmenčík's 85th-minute strike to earn a 1-1 draw in the second leg in Baku; the first game in Plzeň had finished 0-0. Qarabağ's coach, as now, was Gurban Gurbanov.

Lukáš Hejda and Jan Kopic came off the bench for Plzeň in the home leg, when Matúš Kozáčik – now the club's goalkeeping coach – kept a clean sheet; Daniel Kolář and Marek Bakoš, currently sporting manager and assistant coach respectively, also played in the tie.

Kopic set up Krmenčík's decisive goal in Baku after coming off the bench, Hejda playing 90 minutes.

Form guide

Qarabağ
Qarabağ's sole previous UEFA Champions League group stage appearance came in 2017/18, when they became the first club from Azerbaijan to feature. They finished fourth in their section, their only points coming from two draws against Atlético de Madrid (0-0 h, 1-1 a).

That was the only time Qarabağ have successfully negotiated the competition's qualifying rounds, where they have been eliminated six times – including three since that lone group appearance.

In 2017/18 Qarabağ beat Copenhagen on away goals (1-0 h, 1-2 a) in what is their only previous UEFA Champions League play-off. They have won their last eight play-off ties across all UEFA competitions.

The Baku club took part in the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2021/22, reaching the group stage after surviving three qualifying rounds. They finished second in their section behind Basel before being eliminated by Marseille in the knockout play-offs (1-3 a, 0-3 h).

Qarabağ claimed their ninth Azerbaijan league title in 2021/22 and their eighth in nine years, also adding the Azerbaijan Cup, their seventh, to complete a fifth domestic double.

That meant a place in this season's UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, where Qarabağ overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat at Lech Poznań with a 5-1 home success before ousting Zürich (3-2 h, 2-2 a aet) and Ferencváros (1-1 h, 3-1 a).

Qarabağ are on an unbeaten run of ten home games in European qualifying ties (W7 D3).

Qarabağ have played six games against Czech clubs and are still awaiting their first victory (D3 L3), following up their loss against Plzeň in 2016/17 with a 3-0 defeat at Slovan Liberec in that season's UEFA Europa League group stage after a 2-2 home draw. They were also beaten away (0-5) and home (0-3) by Jablonec in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup first qualifying round.

Plzeň
Plzeň are aiming to reach the group stage for the fourth time, and the first since 2018/19 when, as in their previous two appearances, they finished third in their section to move across to the UEFA Europa League.

That most recent campaign, in 2018/19, was also Plzeň's most successful in the UEFA Champions League as they picked up seven points, winning 2-1 at CSKA Moskva and beating Roma at home by the same scoreline – two of just four victories in their 18 group stage games.

Plzeň have since lost in the second qualifying round to Olympiacos in 2019/20 (0-0 h, 0-4 a) and AZ Alkmaar the following season (1-3 a aet).

The Czech club's 2021/22 European campaign lasted three ties in the new UEFA Europa Conference League, Plzeň beating Dinamo Brest 2-1 home and away in the second qualifying round and The New Saints 4-1 on penalties (2-4 a, 3-1 h aet) only to lose to CSKA-Sofia in the play-offs (2-0 h, 0-3 a aet).

Champions of the Czech Republic for the sixth time – all in the last 11 years – in 2021/22, Plzeň have won all four matches in UEFA Champions League qualifying this season, beating HJK Helsinki in the second qualifying round (2-1 a, 5-0 h), the latter equalling their biggest European success, and last season's group stage debutants Sheriff in the third (2-1 a, 2-1 h).

This is Plzeň's fourth UEFA Champions League play-off; their record is W2 L1 with wins against Copenhagen in 2011/12 (3-1 a, 2-1 h) and Maribor in 2013/14 (3-1 h, 1-0 a) but defeat in the most recent tie, against Ludogorets in 2016/17 (0-2 a, 2-2 h).

That 2016 tie against Qarabağ is Plzeň's only previous experience of opposition from Azerbaijan.

Links and trivia
Plzeň's Jan Sýkora scored Slovan Liberec's opener in the first minute of their 2-2 draw against Qarabağ on 15 September 2016. Timed at 10.69 seconds, it remains the quickest goal in the UEFA Europa League.

Kopic scored the Czech Republic's first goal in a 2-1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Azerbaijan in Baku on 5 October 2017; Jan Kliment was a late substitute.

Plzeň coach Michal Bílek was in charge of the Czech Republic side beaten 2-0 by Azerbaijan in a friendly played in the United Arab Emirates on 18 November 2009.