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The long road to the Champions League group stage is underway, with both Ararat-Armenia and AIK aiming to make the last 32 of this competition. However, it’s a huge leap from the first qualifying round to the group stage. There’s still plenty of prize money up for grabs for sides who can spin their way through the early stages of this competition, so which of these two sides will be celebrating progress in this tie?
The hosts have made a meteoric rise in a couple of seasons, winning their first title just two years after the club was founded in 2017. They are heading into their third season as a club, with a Champions League campaign to look forward to. That’s huge for Ararat, who are a side built around young Armenian talents. Can those talents make the step up to European football in time to pull off a result when they go head to head with AIK on Tuesday night?
The visitors have been playing in Europe since the 1964/65 season, with their highlight coming in 1999 when they met Arsenal, Barcelona and Fiorentina in the Champions League group stage. They haven’t got past the qualifiers in any European competition since their run to the group stage of the Europa League back in 2012. They’re back in the Champions League for the first time in nine years, while this week seems to be a brilliant opportunity for the Swedish outfit to go even further.
AIK do have a considerable advantage, they are still playing league football. The Swedish Allsvenskan is 15 rounds in, which puts AIK in peak condition going into their first clash in Europe this summer. Last weekend brought a 1-0 win at Kalmar as they continue their push to win back to back titles for the first time. They’ve only twice finished in the top two after winning the league the previous season, so this could be a huge campaign for them. Could they top it all off with a run in Europe?
The visitors have vastly more experience than Ararat, who have played two games since the start of June, both friendlies. Meanwhile, AIK come into this one in a strong position midway through their league campaign. The visitors have more European experience and can add to that with another win here, so we’re siding with the visitors to gain a first-leg advantage.
AIK to Win
A place in the Champions League second qualifying round will be at stake when Ararat-Armenia and AIK square off against each other in the two-legged tie. The Armenians finished the 2018/2019 season in top position in the standings, only one point clear of second-placed Pyunik, and they are now ready for their Champions League debut. Ararat-Armenia aim to impress in their first ever game in the elite competition, but Tuesday’s football match against AIK will be anything but a walk in the park for the hosts as well.
The Swedes, on the other hand, aim to build on a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kalmar in the national championship and the fact that they are in the middle of the season is surely giving them a reason for optimism ahead of the trip to Armenia. Anyhow, a close encounter is on the horizon at Yerevan Football Academy and I believe that there is a big value in betting on draw.
Does a chance for Ararat to win the game exist?