Slovakia vs Azerbaijan prediction and betting tips on September 8, 2024
UEFA Nations League C
Game Prediction
In the second round of the Nations League on September 8, 2024, Slovakia will host Azerbaijan. The home side is coming off a win and aims to continue their momentum against a team that lost their opener.
Slovakia vs Azerbaijan: Key Stats and Trends
- Slovakia had gone three games without a win before the start of the tournament.
- Azerbaijan has lost just two of their five matches this year.
- The most common scoreline between these teams is 1-0 in favor of Slovakia (three times).
- Slovakia has scored in each of their last seven matches.
- Slovakia wins the first half in 53% of their games, while Azerbaijan does so in 30%.
Our Prediction for Slovakia vs Azerbaijan
The "Repre" have made a resurgence under their relatively unknown Italian coach, Calzone, following a series of disappointments. The team surprised many by dominating their qualification group, despite struggling to compete with Portugal in 2023. However, Slovakia managed to secure 22 points from the other eight matches—an almost perfect performance. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, didn't stand out in their qualifiers, finishing with seven points, only ahead of Estonia. While the team performed decently in friendlies in 2024, Slovakia impressed with a solid showing at the Euros. They began with a win over Belgium before being eliminated by England in the Round of 16 after extra time, having led until Bellingham's last-gasp equalizer in the 95th minute.
This summer, Fernando Santos took charge of Azerbaijan. He opted not to introduce any new players, but all three goalkeepers in the squad have only played a single match at this level. Nürnberg striker Emreli was also left out. Slovakia's key players remain fit and available.
Slovakia began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Estonia in Tallinn, thanks to a second-half goal from Suslov. In contrast, Santos’ debut with Azerbaijan ended in a 1-3 defeat at home to Sweden.
Slovakia vs Azerbaijan: Probable Lineups
Slovakia (probable lineup): Dúbravka – Hancko, Obert, Škriniar, Pekarík – Bénes, Lobotka, Duda – Haraslín, Suslov, Boženík
Azerbaijan (probable lineup): Johansson – Augustinsson, Hien, Douglas, Wahlqvist – Svanberg, Ayari, Kulusevski, Elanga – Isak, Gyökeres
Head to Head matches: Slovakia vs Azerbaijan
The "Repre" have won three consecutive meetings, but in their most recent encounter, also in the Nations League, they lost 1-2 at home.
Free prediction today for the match: Slovakia vs Azerbaijan
As a Euro playoff participant, Slovakia is the clear favorite at home. Expect a confident win for the hosts, with a bet on them to win with a "-1 goal" handicap (odds – 1.74).