Maresca stated, "When we make changes to the starting lineup, it's because we believe the initial plan with the selected players is the best approach. I think today, we started well, scored a goal, and then conceded two goals, especially the first one with our team down to 10 players.

"The main difference for me was the number of goals we conceded in our box, which we could have avoided. In their box, we had many opportunities to be more clinical with our chances.

"I've explained this before, but we have players who needed rest, and we tried to rotate the lineup to give them a break. Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Malo Gusto were rested, as they are not able to play every three days.

They need recovery time after last season and the Club World Cup took a toll on them. We aim to rotate the lineup when we're winning, but when we don't win, everyone focuses on the team selection. Now, it's essential to recover energy for the next game on Saturday and move forward."

Maresca also mentioned, "We started well, were in control of the game, and scored a goal. However, after conceding the first goal, it became increasingly difficult. In the second half, we improved significantly compared to the first half. Each game is an opportunity for players to show why they're part of the team.

"Qarabag is a good team, as I mentioned earlier, and they're doing well, especially at home, where it's challenging."