In a bid to kick off their 2024 competitive campaigns on a positive note, Azerbaijan and Sweden are set to clash in a UEFA Nations League C match in Baku on Thursday night.
The Milli Komanda are coming off a hard-fought friendly victory in June, but are still in search of a morale-boosting result.
Azerbaijan faced one of their biggest defeats in recent memory in their last competitive outing in November 2023, as Romelu Lukaku’s four goals led Belgium to a five-goal win in Euro 2024 qualifying.
After finishing second in League C in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League edition, Azerbaijan find themselves back in the third tier this time around, aiming for a top-two finish in their group to secure promotion to League B.
Meanwhile, Sweden will be hoping for a better performance than their last trip to Baku in November 2023, where a three-goal loss in Euro qualifying dashed their hopes of reaching Germany.
Having finished third in their qualifying group with 10 points, Sweden fell short of the mark, trailing second-placed Austria by nine points. Austria, under the guidance of Ralf Rangnick, went on to surprise many at the European Championships.
Sweden, boasting some of the top players in League C this year, are expected to dominate a group that includes Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Estonia.
Qarabag’s Musa Gurbanly will be looking to secure a spot in Azerbaijan’s starting lineup with strong showings in the upcoming matches.
Following a win against Kazakhstan in their last game, Azerbaijan are likely to stick with the centre-back pairing of Badavi Huseynov and Anton Krivotsyuk.
Newcastle United’s Emil Krafth, who was originally called up to the Sweden squad, has been ruled out due to injury.
Both teams will be eager to start their Nations League campaign on a high note in what promises to be an exciting clash in Baku on Thursday evening.
