Shelbourne vs Qarabag Prediction and Betting Tips | July 22nd 2025

Shelbourne will host Qarabag at Tolka Park on Tuesday in the first leg of their 2025-26 second-round UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign. The hosts go into the first leg looking to capitalize on their home advantage and take control of the tie.

Shelbourne held 10-man Linfield to a 1-1 draw last Wednesday to ensure their progress to the second round after getting a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg at home. The Irish side have enjoyed a long history in European football, dating back to the 1960s, but will be hoping to progress into the main stages of a European tournament for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

Qarabag are only just coming into the preliminary rounds as a result of their superior European coefficient rankings and will be looking to open their qualifying campaign with a win. The Azerbaijani giants were eliminated in the playoffs of last season’s UCL campaign by Dinamo Zagreb before proceeding to finish dead last in the Europa League league phase and will be looking to show significant improvement in European football this time around.

Shelbourne vs Qarabag Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• This will mark the first ever meeting between the two sides in their histories. Shelbourne have never been up against an Azerbaijani side, while Qarabag have won one and drawn one of two previous meetings with Irish opponents.
• The Reds have never made an appearance in the main stages of the UEFA Champions League.
• Qarabag have only failed to appear in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League in one of their last 10 seasons. They have, however, only made it as far as the group stages in one of those nine seasons.
• Shels have kept clean sheets in two of their last three games after managing just one in their previous eight.

Shelbourne vs Qarabag Prediction

Shelbourne are underdogs going into this midweek game despite being at home and will need to be at their best to get a result against a considerably stronger side.

Atlılar should come away with a positive result when they make the trip to Ireland this week but will need to avoid complacency and be at their best, having been on break from competitive action since May.

Prediction: Shelbourne 1-2 Qarabag

Shelbourne vs Qarabag Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Qarabag to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Four of the visitors' last five games have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes (Both teams have gotten on the scoresheet in four of the visitors' last six games)

Edited by Peter P