Qarabağ head coach Qurban Qurbanov has acknowledged that his side struggled to impose their usual style of play against Neftçi after the teams shared six goals in a 3-3 draw in the eighth round of the Azerbaijan Premier League.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Qurbanov praised Neftçi’s performance, saying their opponents had prevented Qarabağ from playing their usual game.
“We had a very strong team in front of us today. Neftçi looked like a good, well-organised side and did not allow us to play our own game. They competed well. At the same time, we have shortcomings of our own,” he said, according to Azertag.
Qurbanov acknowledged that Neftçi had strengthened and stressed that Qarabağ needed time to integrate their new signings fully into the squad.
“Our new players need time to adapt completely. The league is different, and coaches have different approaches. Nevertheless, our players showed character and tried to give their best,” he said.
The Qarabağ manager remains confident that his team can improve, arguing that the squad has the potential to perform at a higher level as the season progresses.
He added that it would be wrong for his players to doubt their abilities simply because they were facing strong opponents such as Sabah or Neftçi.
“We have a long championship campaign ahead of us. Our players are capable of performing better than they are at present, and I believe we can raise our level in the coming matches,” Qurbanov said.
Qarabağ face tougher competition
The manager also highlighted the growing strength of Azerbaijan’s Premier League, singling out Sabah and Neftçi as teams that have reached a new level and developed distinct styles of play.
He said Qarabağ would need to work harder and adopt a more demanding approach if they were to maintain their competitiveness.
“There are no easy matches or weak opponents in this championship,” Qurbanov said, warning against focusing exclusively on the league’s most prominent challengers.
He also pointed to Turan Tovuz, Zirə, Şamaxı and Sumqayıt as clubs seeking strong results, noting that every team had its own strengths, coaching staff and ambitions.
Qurbanov said Qarabağ would continue fighting for positive results until the end of the season, despite the increasingly competitive environment.
League standings
The draw left Neftçi second in the Premier League table on 17 points, with Qarabağ third on the same tally.
The result underlines the competitive pressure facing Qarabağ as they seek to maintain their position among Azerbaijan’s leading clubs in a season in which established rivals and ambitious challengers are making the title race increasingly demanding.