Sabah Baku vs The New Saints Preview
Sabah Baku are a tough home side and rarely lose at Bank Respublika Arena. The New Saints face a challenging away trip to Azerbaijan and a high-scoring home victory has good value.
Key Stats - Sabah Baku Win a Lot at Home
- Sabah Baku have won 10 of their last 14 home matches.
- Sabah Baku have seen BTTS in their last 6 games.
- The New Saints have seen over 2.5 goals in 4 of their last 6 away matches.
H2H - First Encounter
This will be the first-ever meeting between Sabah Baku and The New Saints.
Sabah Baku In Solid Home Form
Sabah Baku qualified for the 2026/27 Champions League Qualifiers after finishing top of the
Azerbaijan Premier League. They scored a league high of 75 goals in 33 fixtures.
The Owls beat Turan 2-1 away in their last game of the 2025/26 campaign. Back-to-back 1-1 friendly draws with Universitatea Craiova and Ferencvaros followed.
The Azerbaijan team then lost 4-1 away against Polissya Zhytomyr. Sabah Baku were 2-0 down and Veljko Simic scored before Polissya Zhytomyr struck two late goals.
The New Saints Face a Better Quality Side
Craig Harrison’s The New Saints won their sixth consecutive Welsh Premier League title last season. TNS finished six points clear at the top of the table and scored 59 goals in 22 matches.
The Welsh side narrowly beat Barry Town 1-0 to finish the 2025/26 season. Harrison’s outfit then started pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Northern Irish side Glentoran.
TNS came back from a goal down to beat second-tier Northern Irish outfit H&W Welders 2-1 last time out. Rhys Hughes and Josh Lock scored either side of half time to complete the comeback victory.
Predicted Starting Lineups & Team News
Sabah Baku (4-2-3-1): Stas Pokatilov; Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov, Tymoteusz Puchacz; Zinedine Ould Khaled, Umarali Rakhmonaliev, Aleksey Isayev; Jesse Sekidika, Aaron Malouda; Orphe Mbina
Winger Khayal Aliyev is ruled out due to a tendon injury.
The New Saints (4-2-3-1): Nathan Shepperd; Zach Nolan, Jack Bodenham, Harvey, Godsmark-Ford, Daniel Williams; Dominic Corness, Daniel Redmond; Ryan Brobbel, Eoin Farrell, Rory Holden; Jordan Williams
The New Saints have no injuries or suspensions.
Attacker Jordan Williams is likely to start after scoring 28 goals in 39 appearances last season.
Zach Nolan could make his competitive debut on Tuesday. The full-back joined from Ballymena United in June.