Match Preview: Turkey 2-1 Azerbaijan Prediction and Betting Tips | Friendly International

Turkey – Azerbaijan Prediction and Tips for today, May 27, 2021

Turkey – Azerbaijan Match Preview

• The first of a double-header of warm-up games ahead of EURO 2020 sees Turkey (FIFA rank: #29) welcome Azerbaijan (#110). The hosts are unbeaten in 11 straight friendlies ahead of this since a 3-2 home defeat vs Albania back in 2017 (W4, D7), although three sides ranked below Turkey held them to draws during that sequence.
• Games played on home soil have been entertaining affairs recently with Turkey’s last five witnessing both teams score and an average of 4.5 total goals (W2, D3). Three of those also saw them come from behind to avoid defeat, although they failed to hold onto a lead last time out here against #138-ranked Latvia.
• This is purely a run out for Azerbaijan, and they’ve never beaten a team as highly ranked as Turkey since a 2-0 win over #15 ranked, at the time, Czech Republic back in 2009. It is hard to see a repeat of that here considering Azerbaijan haven’t scored twice in any of their last 13 games (W1, D4, L8).
• Blunt in attack, Azerbaijan have scored just once across their last 511 minutes played on foreign soil (D2, L3). They’ve also failed to score in three away H2Hs (6-0 aggregate scoreline), although it is still hard to see an embarrassing scoreline for Azerbaijan here as none of their last seven defeats on foreign soil saw a 3+ goal margin, though they did trail at HT in five.
• Players to watch: Galatasaray forward Halil İbrahim Dervişoğlu could be set for a debut after he scored his first three Galatasaray goals in his last four appearances (two openers). Since the start of EURO 2020 qualifying, Ramil Sheydayev has been Azerbaijan’s top scorer, albeit with only three goals in 16 competitive appearances.
• Hot stat: Turkey led at HT in four of their five clashes vs nations ranked outside of the top 100 since the start of EURO qualifying (W4, D1).