Kazakhstan vs Azerbaijan Predictions

• Both teams have scored in each of Azerbaijan’s last three games, and in nine of their last 12.
• Kazakhstan scored in four of their six UEFA Nations League games in the 2020-21 campaign,
• Magomed Adiyev’s men have, however, kept just one clean sheet in their last 14 games, a run stretching back to November 2020.
• Seven of these teams’ 10 previous head-to-head meetings have seen goals at both ends.

Nations League puts poor defences against one another

Having survived a relegation play-off against Moldova at the end of their 2020-21 UEFA Nations League campaign, Kazakhstan open group C3 with a home clash against Azerbaijan, against whom they’ve won their last two meetings and lost just once in their last seven. This contest, however, is tough to call, and with both sides in poor form, the goals market looks like punters’ best shout.

The hosts have won just two of their last 17 games, against Moldova and Tajikistan, keeping a single clean sheet in their last 14 outings, a run which dates back to a 0-0 friendly draw with Montenegro in November 2020. Magomed Adiyev’s team have conceded 31 goals in that time, but the hosts – ranked 125^th in the world by FIFA – did score in four of their six 2020-21 Nations League games, so could pose a threat to the team ranked four places below them.

Indeed, Azerbaijan have seen both teams score in each of their last three games, and in nine of their last 12, a run which doesn’t include a single shut out for Gianni De Biasi’s team, who are winless in their last eight. Indeed, their last clean sheet came in November 2020 against Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan have shipped 28 goals in their 16 subsequent outings.

Goals at both ends the safest play as leaky outfits meet

With wins hard to come by for both teams in the last couple of years, punters are best advised to back both teams to score in this encounter between defensively poor sides, while a 1-1 draw, which would mark the first stalemate between the teams since 2007, could be a decent correct score play.