Qarabağ FK have taken a firm grip on their UEFA Europa League 2026/27 first qualifying round tie after beating Vestri 3-0 in the first leg. At the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku, the home side controlled proceedings for long stretches, affording their Icelandic opponents little time or space. For Vestri, it was the first time any Icelandic second-division club had appeared in a UEFA competition — a milestone made possible by their victory in the 2025 Icelandic Cup.
Early yellow card, late opening goal
The match got off to a notable start for the wrong reasons: Vestri's Fall was shown a yellow card as early as the 2nd minute — an early indication of just how much pressure the away side would be under throughout. Qarabağ took control without immediately carving out clear-cut chances, before the breakthrough finally arrived in the 30th minute. Zakaria Sarjo Sawo, teed up by Kashchuk, converted to make it 1-0 — a deserved lead. The Malmö-born striker of Gambian descent demonstrated the individual quality that so clearly separates Qarabağ from their opponents.
Captain Zoubir doubles the lead shortly after the break
Vestri never truly found their footing, and by the 47th minute — barely moments after the restart — Abdellah Zoubir had made it 2-0. The French-Moroccan left winger, a Qarabağ mainstay since July 2018 and the club's captain, once again underlined his value to the side. Zoubir, who extended his contract through to 2027 in 2024, is one of the defining figures under head coach Qurban Qurbanov — who has stood in the dugout since 2008 and built Qarabağ into the dominant force in Azerbaijani football.
In the 58th minute, Vestri's coach turned to his bench with a double substitution, bringing on Morfelt and Einarsson in place of Hafthorsson and Svavarsson. Qarabağ responded in kind in the 65th minute, making three changes simultaneously: Cafarquliyev, Mouaddib and Lobato came on to replace Langa, Kashchuk and Jankovic.
Cephas puts the seal on the victory
The third goal arrived in the 86th minute, scored by Renaldo Cephas — who had been introduced just seven minutes earlier as a substitute for Abdellah Zoubir. The assist came from Zakaria Sarjo Sawo, the man who had opened the scoring and who brought the evening full circle. The final score: 3-0.
Qarabağ head into the second leg in an exceptionally comfortable position. The club, who in 2023/24 became the first Azerbaijani side ever to reach the Europa League round of 16, are pursuing a clear objective in this qualifying campaign: a return to the European stage. Vestri, meanwhile, will need an extraordinary performance in the return fixture to have any hope of turning the tie around.
