Azerbaijan VS Slovakia Match Prediction
2019-06-11
16:00:00
Azerbaijan
VS
Slovakia
Our Prediction Tip
Slovakia will win this match.
2019-06-1116:00:00 Slovakia will win this match.
Azerbaijan and Slovakia have played six previous matches against each other. Slovakia won the first five, but Azerbaijan claimed a 2-0 win back in June 2001.
Slovakia have been very inconsistent of late – thrashing Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League before losing to the Czech Republic, for example.
Again, in these qualifiers, they started by beating Hungary but then lost to Wales.
Lack of consistency has stopped them challenging consistently at the right end of these qualifying groups but they will still expect to win in Azerbaijan.
They got back to winning ways with a much-changed team in the friendly against Jordan but success breeds success and there were some performances in that second-half that show the current squad what is waiting in the wings.
Albert Rusnack and Ondrej Duda both scored in the opening game, while Robbie Mak and captain Marek Hamsik have contributed plenty for Slovakia too.
All four will be key in this game, against an Azerbaijan team who are without a win in their last four – a sequence which includes their heavy UEFA Nations League defeat to Kosovo.
That game was a chance for Azerbaijan to prove they are not in the lowest tier of European nations but they could not take it and games like these against Slovakia remain difficult ones.
Slovakia are favourites and should live up to that.
Slovakia are favourites to beat Azerbaijan and can be backed at 20/23 with Betfair to do just that.
That improves to a best price of 6/4 with Bet365 and Ladbrokes if you back them to win to nil, with Azerbaijan out of form of late.
For the same reason, you can bet against both teams to score at 13/20 with Betfair.
For Slovakia, Ondrej Duda is 3/1 with Bet365 and 10Bet to score at any time, while Albert Rusnack can be backed at the same price. Robbie Mak is a best price of 16/5 with Betfair and Paddy Power.
After defeat to Wales in their last qualifier, Slovakia need to bounce back with victory against Azerbaijan – though they should do exactly that.
Namik Alaskarov has been added to the squad after Eddi Israfilov withdrew through injury prior to the game against Hungary. Despite the defeat, Azerbaijan could start with a similar line-up and system against Slovakia.
Mahir Emreli – The Qarabag striker, 21, scored his third international goal in the defeat against Hungary last time out.
Dimitrij Nazarov – The midfielder has scored eight times in 40 international appearances – more than anybody else in the current squad.
Maksim Medvedev – The captain will lead the Azerbaijani defence against Slovakia as he wins his 58th cap for his country.
Azerbaijan’s winless streak extended to four games with defeat to Hungary last time out, despite Mahir Emreli scoring in an eventual 3-1 loss. It followed a goalless friendly draw with Lithuania and their 2-1 defeat in their opening qualifier in Croatia – Ramil Sheydayev having opened the scoring in that game.
Samuel Mraz’s goal in the friendly win against Jordan was not enough for the Crotone striker to retain his place in the squad, and neither was it for debutant Martin Chrien either. The team was already set to be much changed for this qualifier, however.
Albert Rusnak – Scored his fifth international goal in the opening qualifier, as the Real Salt Lake attacking midfielder gears up for his 20th cap.
Marek Hamsik – The most-capped and probably best-known player in this Slovakia squad, the captain has scored 22 times in 113 internationals.
Robbie Mak – The Zenit man has 11 goals in 53 international appearances, offering as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.
Slovakia gave been inconsistent of late, opening their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Hungary – Ondrej Duda and Albert Rusnak scoring – before a 1-0 loss to Wales. They got back to winning ways in their most recent match, a friendly, when they scored five second-half goals to come from behind and beat Jordan 5-1. Luka Haraslin, Martin Chrien, Jan Gregus, Samuel Mraz and Jaroslav Mihalik were all on target.
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