Qarabag FK is set to host CSKA Sofia at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium on Thursday, looking to achieve a favorable outcome in the first leg of their Europa League second qualifying round. The Azerbaijani club has participated in either the Europa League or Champions League group stages for three consecutive years and aims to continue this streak by reaching the tournament proper this season. Under the long-time management of Qurban Qurbanov, Qarabag has made significant strides in European competitions, having reached the Europa League group stage in 2014-15, qualified for the Champions League in 2017-18, and progressed to the knockout rounds in 2021-22. Their most recent continental campaign ended with a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Marseille in the Conference League. However, Qarabag's most notable achievement came in the 2023-24 Europa League, where they advanced to the round of 16 before narrowly losing 5-4 to Bayer Leverkusen. Despite their subsequent campaign in the Europa League ending in the group stage, the Blue and Whites made history in the Champions League by reaching the knockout playoff round, where they were eliminated by Newcastle United with a 9-3 aggregate score. After a heavy defeat by the Magpies, last season's runners-up in the Azerbaijan Premier League returned to qualifying with a commanding 6-0 aggregate victory over Iceland's Vestri. Now, they are focused on securing a strong result to advance closer to the third qualifying round, where they could face either Sheriff Tiraspol or Maccabi Tel Aviv. Their opponents, CSKA Sofia, are also aiming to return to the tournament proper in Europe after a five-year absence.