Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
Both teams have made an unconvincing start to qualifying, but for Iceland this home fixture against the outsiders is a key opportunity to rejoin the race for second place. Azerbaijan are on a long winless run and are unlikely to get a result in Reykjavik.
Iceland
Iceland are experiencing a difficult period: setbacks in the UEFA Nations League and a play-off defeat to Kosovo (1:2, 1:3) have affected confidence. However, the Icelanders are recovering, and in friendlies they defeated Scotland (3:1) and narrowly lost to Northern Ireland, although they dominated possession (66-34 in possession). Iceland remain competitive, with Orri Óskarsson of Real Sociedad and Hákon Arnar Haraldsson of LOSC Lille pulling the strings.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan are in crisis: in the UEFA Nations League there was only one draw with Estonia (0:0) and five defeats, including a 0:6 reverse against Sweden. Across that campaign the squad scored only three times. Over the last ten matches there have been no wins, eight defeats and only two goalless draws, and in friendlies Azerbaijan were beaten even by Haiti (0:3).
Iceland vs Azerbaijan Prediction
The home advantage in Reykjavik matters greatly: cold conditions and artificial turf consistently make life difficult for visiting sides. Iceland regularly get results on home soil, and Azerbaijan appear too limited to impose themselves.
