After making winless starts to their UEFA Nations League (UNL) Group D2 campaigns, both Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein will be looking to make amends when they meet in Baku.
Match News and Current Form
Azerbaijan’s first League D game since the inaugural edition in 2018/19 ended in a 1-1 draw with Lithuania, which may have felt like a point well earned considering they conceded first and were underdogs away from home. FIFA’s 125th-ranked nation will again be out to win their first UNL game since September 2022 (D2, L5) after going winless in their group to suffer relegation in the 2024/25 League C season, but that coupled with the fact they haven’t won in any major competition since November 2023 (D3, L11) means they may find that difficult here. Playing at home may offer the competitive edge needed, considering they’ve won their last three home games.
Liechtenstein come into this match as the second-lowest ranked European nation in the world, beginning their Group D2 endeavour with a 2-0 loss to Lithuania, before repeating that result when losing 2-0 to Malta in an international friendly during the previous UNL matchday. That extended their losing streak without scoring to four matches, while the defeat to Lithuania sees their all-time record in the UNL standing at just two wins in their 21 matches across all seasons (D5, L14). Hitting the road only increases the difficulty of the task at hand, with Liechtenstein last winning a competitive away game back in September 2020 (D2, L19).
Head-to-Head History
Liechtenstein won the inaugural encounter 2-1 in 1998, but failed to score against Azerbaijan in the four subsequent H2Hs, losing on three occasions (D1).
Hot Stats and Streaks
Azerbaijan have scored 2+ goals in just two of their last 22 matches.
Just one of Azerbaijan’s last five games was decided by a multi-goal margin.
There have been under 2.5 goals in five of Liechtenstein’s last six matches.
Just two of Liechtenstein’s last 16 games saw both teams score.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
After scoring against Lithuania, Mahir Emreli may again look to get Azerbaijan ticking, since his last five international goals have served as his team’s opener. Liechtenstein’s Ferhat Sağlam will be looking to have his say on the road, where he has recorded three of his last four club goals and both of his international goals.
Both sides had relatively complete squads to select from and have avoided any major injuries in this international window thus far.
For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.
Betting Analysis
Neither side have been in great scoring form recently, and taking advantage of the odds of there being under 2.5 goals seems hard to pass up.
Author: Peter Stavrinou