Match Preview: Azerbaijan 0-3 Portugal Prediction and Betting Tips | World Cup – Qualification

Azerbaijan – Portugal Prediction Prediction and Tips for today, September 7, 2021

Azerbaijan – Portugal Match Preview

• Tuesday’s World Cup Qualifying (WCQ) action kicks off at the Baku Olympic Stadium as a struggling Azerbaijan play host to Portugal. Although they managed a draw with Ireland last time out, a side ranked 65 places better than themselves, Azerbaijan’s qualification hopes could be mathematically ended with another failure to win here (D1, L3).
• The hosts have failed to secure a victory in just one of their previous six WCQ campaigns, yet that’s looking likely to happen in this campaign. They’ve never beaten a side ranked inside FIFA’s top ten in their history, whilst across the past five years, the only UEFA nation Azerbaijan have defeated that ranked inside FIFA’s top 80 was Norway (#43), who they beat 1-0 in their previous WCQ crusade.
• Portugal head into this on the back of a confidence-boosting win against WC hosts, Qatar (3-1), making it two wins from two in this international break. Their qualification for the finals looks all but secure, yet Fernando Santos’ men will be going all out to register a big win given that they trail free-scoring group leaders Serbia on goal difference.
• The visitors have conceded just one goal across the previous seven H2H clashes (W6, D1), whilst scoring a high average of 2.71 goals at the other end. Therefore their prospects of positively boosting their goal difference looks good here.
• Players to watch: Emin Makhmudov’s goal on Saturday gave Azerbaijan their first WCQ point this campaign, and he now has four goals in his last five appearances for club & country. In the absence of record-breaking Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes was on penalty duties for Portugal last time out – he sank 13 spot kicks at club level last season.
• Hot stat: Azerbaijan have received a red card in all three of their all-time home H2Hs with Portugal.