Mariehamn – Inter Baku 11.07.2013

Inter Baku will be very motivated to make amends for a 1:1 draw in the first leg of the Europa League qualifiers when they take on Mariehamn in Finland.

This should be a very interesting clash as the hosts have an advantage and the visitors much better squad.

After they clinched the fourth place in the Finnish Veikkausliiga, Mariehamn booked their place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. The Finns secured a 1:1 draw in the first leg against Inter Baku, but they are still considered underdogs in this tie. In order to advance to the next round The Islanders need to play out a 0:0 draw are to defeat strong Azerbaijan side Inter Baku in the return leg in Mariehamn. Mariehamn are currently sitting in 5th place in the Finnish Premier Division, with the team picking up 25 points from 18 matches. They are on a three-match winless run in all competitions at the moment. Pekka Lyyskiˈs men will certainly adopt a cautious approach, they will try to keep a clean sheet, but I am not sure whether Mariehamn are capable of doing so. It seems as if a 1:1 draw will be the closest they got in this tie against Inter Baku, therefore, I will put my money on the hosts, who are favourites in this clash.

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Two-time Azarbaijanian league winners Inter Baku are fighting for a place in the Europa League group stage following a third-place finish in the domestic league. Baku, Bayil stadium has hosted the first match of the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League between Inter of Azerbaijan and Mariehamn of Finland. The hosts took an early lead in the 7th minute, Asif Mammadov brought Inter Baku forward, but on 72nd minute, the Finns netted a vital goal thanks to Alonso Adlam. Inter Baku have a number of internationals in theis squad, Brazilian Flavio, Spaniards Alvaro and Benitez, Croatian Spicic, Macedonian Georgievski and famous Georgian striker Iashvili who used to play in Bundesliga. Even though Kakhaber Tskhadadzeˈs team shared the spoils with Mariehamn in the first leg (1:1), they are still favourites to make it to the second qualifying round of Europa League, therefore I am tempted to back Inter Baku to record an important away victory.