On Tuesday, September 9, Azerbaijan will face Ukraine in the second round of UEFA World Cup qualification. I’m focusing on the expected number of goals from one of the teams.
Key Match Facts and Head-to-Head History
- Azerbaijan has not won an official match since November 16, 2023.
- The team has lost 9 of its last 11 games.
- Ukraine has won only 2 of its last 5 matches.
- Ukraine has not qualified for the World Cup finals since 2006.
- This will be the first official match between these teams. They met in friendlies, where Ukraine won once and the other ended in a draw.
Match Preview
Azerbaijan’s national team is facing severe challenges. While Qarabag has successfully reached the Champions League group stage, the national team is struggling. The appointment of Fernando Santos, who previously led Portugal to victory in Euro 2016, has not improved the situation.
Under Santos, Azerbaijan managed only one point in their Nations League C group, resulting in relegation to League D. In their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier, they lost 0-5 to Iceland.
Ukraine is also having a tough time, as ongoing conflict has forced them to play all matches away, affecting their performance. The quality of their play has dropped over the last two years, and head coach Serhiy Rebrov is receiving criticism.
In the Nations League, Ukraine failed to move up to League A, finishing second in their League B group. They had a surprising 3-1 win against Belgium in a ‘home’ playoff match but then lost 0-3 away. Recently, Ukraine lost 0-2 to France in their World Cup qualifying opener.
Probable Lineups
- Azerbaijan: Mahammadaliyev; Badalov, Mustafazade, Dashdamirov; Guseynov, Abdullazada, Mahmudov, Ibrahimli, Kafarkuliev; Akhundzade, Emreli
- Ukraine: Trubin; Konoplia, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Zinchenko; Kalyuzhnyi, Yarmolyuk, Sudakov; Zubkov, Dovbyk, Hutsulyak
Azerbaijan vs Ukraine Match Prediction
Azerbaijan is struggling, while Ukraine has stronger individual players. I predict that Ukraine will score more than 1 goal in this match.
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