- Sabah have won seven, drawn one and lost two of their last 10 matches in all competitions
- TNS have won nine and lost one of their last ten in all competitions
- Sabah's form at home has been mixed, winning two, drawing one and losing two of their last five at home
Sabah will be wary of TNS’ momentum
Azerbaijani giants Sabah FK start as big favourites against Welsh League champions The New Saints FC in their first qualifying clash for UEFA Champions League qualification in 2026. They are 1.31 to take the win on Tuesday with TNS 9.1 and the draw at 4.73.
Valdas Dambrauskas' men will be favourites because of their home advantage and the fact they have been able to grind out results even when not at their best recently. Sabah have won three and lost two of their last five games, but they have to get this game up and running quickly because they finished their most recent home spell with defeats. They did beat PFK Turan Tovuz 2-1 away last time out, so this looks like a tough test for Dambrauskas' charges.
TNS are the team in form with four wins from their last five and three successive wins in all competitions. The Welsh champions are a ruthless outfit in all comps with nine wins and one defeat in their last 10, so Craig Harrison's men will not be coming to Bank Republic Arena to make up the numbers.
TNS can keep it narrow and dangerous
Both teams line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which suggests the battle between the double-pivots and for possession of the #10 zone will determine who controls this game. The Saints' best player is the team's number 10, Daniel Williams, who has scored four of TNS's nine goals in their last five matches and is currently on a hot streak in front of goal.
Sabah look set to play an attractive brand of footy that should see them have plenty of the ball, but TNS are more pragmatic than their hosts and are capable of sitting compact and being dangerous on the counter. The New Saints have been a road machine in all European and domestic comps this season, going five away without defeat, five wins and scoring 11 goals on the way.
Sabah's home record in all-competitions is two wins, one draw and two defeats from five, so they have not been totally convincing at Bank Republic Arena recently. They have shipped six goals during that run, so we feel that backing Under 2.5 goals at 1.89 has a better chance of landing than any result this week because the Saints know how to keep it tight and tactical.
