On Friday evening, Estonia and Azerbaijan go head-to-head at the A. Le Coq Arena in Group F of qualifying for Euro 2024.
Estonia form guideThe home team are currently bottom of the group, having picked up just one point from their last five qualifiers. A 5-0 defeat in Belgium last time out means that they have now failed to win any of their previous 16 matches in qualifying for the European Championships. During their poor run in qualifiers, they have suffered 16 defeats.
Estonia’s main weakness of late has been in defence, as they have conceded at least two goals in six of their previous seven matches in qualifying.
Their recent home record in qualifying is also a poor one, as Estonia have now lost their previous seven qualifiers on home soil. Once again, their leaky defence has been the main factor, as they have conceded at least two goals in their last six home matches in qualifying.
Azerbaijan form guideThe visitors are level on points with their hosts, only above Estonia, courtesy of a superior goal difference. Similarly to the home team, Azerbaijan has a poor recent record in European Championship qualifying, as they have failed to win in 17 qualifiers, having suffered 12 defeats in the run.
Their recent matches in European Championships qualifying have been relatively low-scoring, with under 2.5 goals scored in six of their previous eight games.
Azerbaijan has never won a qualifier on their travels, which encompasses 36 away games in qualifying. A leaky defence has been the main cause of their poor recent away form in qualifiers, conceding at least two goals in seven of their last eight matches.
What am I backing?Both teams were expected to struggle in the group, and neither team has caused many surprises so far. The bet I am backing is the draw.
