Azerbaijan vs Kazakhstan – 25/09/2022
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Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan meet at the Bakı Olimpiya Stadionu on Sunday evening for this top of the table clash in League C/Group 3 in the final game of the group stage in what is essentially a ‘dead rubber’ with the group standings all but confirmed prior to this weekend’s fixtures.
Azerbaijan sit in 2nd spot but regardless of the result at home against Kazakhstan, the hosts trail their visitors by an unassailable six-point margin which they cannot claw back after making a slow and disappointing start to this season’s Nations League campaign.
The hosts lost two of their opening three games in Group 3 with losses incurred against Kazakhstan and Slovakia and picking up just a point in a 0-0 draw away at bottom nation, Belarus, and despite recent results showing a marked improvement with wins against Belarus (at home) and their midweek 2-1 triumph away from home in Slovakia, it’s been a case of too little too late for Azerbaijan.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan will head into this upcoming encounter with Kazakhstan with renewed confidence and the hosts look capable of earning a point here.
Kazakhstan have already secured automatic promotion up to League B for the next Nations League campaign.
The visitors sit in top spot by a comfortable six point margin over their 2nd placed hosts, Azerbaijan, prior to Sunday’s final match in theis group stage.
Kazakhstan have produced an impressive campaign in this season’s competition as they have won 4 and drawn 1 of their five group games to date which includes wins against Azerbaijan, home and away wins against Slovakia and a home win over Belarus, whilst scoring 8 goals and conceding just 3 in reply.
However, it’s worth mentioning that three of Kazakhstan’s four wins to date in Group 3 were achieved on home soil at their Astana Arena.
The visitors have produced more of a mixed bag of results on their travels in the Nations League format.
Kazakhstan have won just three out of their previous nine away games in this competition which have been registered at Lithuania, Moldova and Slovakia although they have also tasted defeat at Georgia, Belarus and Albania as well – and drawn the other three games.
Therefore, with very little riding on this upcoming encounter between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, this final game could fizzle out into a draw.
