Preview: Qarabag FK vs. Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Holding a two-goal lead, Qarabag FK aim to close out the tie against Braga in the second leg of their Europa League playoff encounter on Thursday night.

The Azerbaijani side emerged triumphant with a 4-2 scoreline in last week's opening encounter, putting themselves in a strong position to advance in the competition.

Match preview

After claiming the Azerbaijani Premier League title last season and overcoming HJK Helsinki and Olimpija Ljubljana in qualifying, Qarabag finished second in their Europa League group, eight points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

This runner-up position meant Gurban Gurbanov's men faced the challenge of a playoff round against Portuguese outfit Braga.

Their 4-2 victory in the away leg in Portugal has them on the cusp of the next round. Marko Jankovic converted a penalty to put the Azerbaijani side ahead, but Braga equalised just before half time through Simon Banza.

Qarabag then dominated a 15-minute spell in the second half, scoring three times through Juninho and Abdellah Zoubir's brace. However, Joao Moutinho pulled one back for the Portuguese side from the spot in stoppage time.

Gurbanov's team have enjoyed a full week of rest since the first leg, preparing to finish the job on Thursday.

Braga, despite their potent attack, have been let down by a leaky defence this season.

The Archbishops have conceded the most goals among the top nine clubs in the Portuguese league, despite boasting the third-highest scoring record in the division.

This trend continued in their Champions League group, where they conceded the most goals (12) despite finishing third ahead of Union Berlin.

A 5-0 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon and a 2-1 win over Farense last weekend brought their goals conceded in the last three games to 10, following the four they let in against Qarabag.

Artur Jorge faces a crucial task in finding a solution to these defensive frailties as his side aims to overturn a two-goal deficit and keep their European dreams alive.

Qarabag FK Europa League form:

Qarabag form (all competitions):

Team News

Qarabag have a clean bill of health ahead of Thursday, leaving Gurbanov with a wealth of options to pick from.

Marko Vesovic could return to the defense after missing the first leg due to a red card he received in their final Europa League group-stage match against Hacken.

Juninho, who has already scored 20 goals across all competitions so far this season, is expected to lead the line again in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Braga will remain without winger Bruma through injury on Thursday, as he currently nurses a meniscus injury until early May.

Adrian Marin and Ricardo Horta are also sidelined with varying injuries, leaving Jorge to make several changes to his starting XI on Thursday.

Banza is expected to lead the line again, having netted 15 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions so far.

Qarabag FK possible starting lineup: Lunyov; Silva, Mustafazada, Guseynov, Cafarguliyev; Romao, Jankovic; Andrade, Benzia, Zoubir; Juninho

Braga possible starting lineup: Matheus; Gomez, Niakate, Oliveira, Borja; Carvalho, Moutinho; Ruiz, Pizzi, Fernandes; Banza

We say: Qarabag FK 2-1 Braga (Qarabag FK to win 6-3 on aggregate)

Qarabag's first-leg win has put them in a strong position, and they will be buoyed by playing at home in front of their fans. Braga, meanwhile, continue to struggle defensively and have been misfiring in attack recently. We expect the home side to secure qualification on Thursday.