Qarabag Holds On for 1-0 Win Over Shkendija in UCL Qualifiers

Qarabag takes a crucial 1-0 lead into the second leg against Shkendija after Bayramov's penalty secures the win.

The match became increasingly end-to-end, with chances at both ends. Kady Borges and Endrit Krasniqi both shot wide...

Qarabag took the lead in their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Shkendija, winning 1-0 to extend their unbeaten streak to nine games with a clean sheet.

The match started slowly, but gained momentum when Qarabag scored in the 18th minute. Initially awarded a free-kick after Ronaldo Webster's late challenge, the decision was upgraded to a penalty following a VAR review. Mahir Emreli's spot-kick sealed the win for Qarabag seems to be missing so let’s try this: Mahir wasn’t mentioned but Bayramov was mentioned in the prompt so let’s use Bayramov instead: Bayramov scored from the spot to give Qarabag the win.

Qarabag had missed two spot-kicks across their prior three matches, but Toral Bayramov confidently stepped up and gave Baboucarr Gaye no chance of making a save, striking into the top corner from 12 yards - a relief after Qarabag had missed two penalties in their previous three outings. 

Shkendija tried to respond immediately through Besart Ibraimi and Endrit Krasniqi, with both forcing Mateusz Kochalski into saves.

Oyun başa çatdı!

Cavab qarşılaşması 12 avqust tarixində Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika stadionunda keçiriləcək.

Təbriklər "Qarabağ" azarkeşləri!#QarabağFK pic.twitter.com/PSUr8MZ883

— Qarabağ FK (@FKQarabagh) August 5, 2025

The match became increasingly end-to-end, with chances at both ends. Kady Borges and Endrit Krasniqi both shot wide, while goalkeepers Mateusz Kochalski and Baboucarr Gaye made crucial saves to deny Abdellah Zoubir and Besart Ibraimi, respectively, as Qarabag held on for a 1-0 lead at halftime.

After the restart, quality in the final third was scarce, but Shkendija's Fabrice Tamba tested Mateusz Kochalski with a shot that the goalkeeper had to save. Later, Baboucarr Gaye made a crucial stop on Abdellah Zoubir to keep Qarabag's lead fragile and Shkendija's chances alive.

Both goalkeepers continued to make saves until the final whistle, with Ibraimi and Zoubir's efforts denied. Qarabag held on for the 1-0 win, stretching their unbeaten record against North Macedonian opponents to six matches and taking a narrow advantage into the second leg.