The well-known Ukrainian journalist Roberto Morales has prepared a forecast for the 2026 World Cup qualification match between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Iceland.
— Azerbaijan has lost six matches and drawn two this year. Overall, this team has not won in the last fourteen matches, losing eleven of them. In June 2024, they defeated Kazakhstan in a friendly game, but their last official match victory was two years ago when they scalped Sweden in Baku, 2:0.
Amidst continuous failures during this qualification period, Azerbaijan fired their Portuguese coach Fernando Santos. This provided a slight boost, allowing them to take points from our national team (1:1). However, subsequent defeats have further confirmed their underdog status.
Iceland has not reached the final parts of major tournaments for a long time. Last year, they were stopped from entering the Euro by the Ukrainian team in a decisive playoff match. Now, the islanders have again lost to Serhiy Rebrov’s protégés, this time at home, 3:5.
After that, Arnar Gunnlaugsson’s team gave the French a “hellish” challenge, and only through individual skill did the French achieve a draw in Reykjavik, 2:2. If they now beat the underdog, they are likely to approach the decisive match against Ukraine understanding that a draw would be enough for second place. The bet — goals for both teams and a total greater than 2.5, — said Morales.