Prediction: Wales win
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We already know a handful of the nations that will be competing in next year s UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, but we don t yet know them all. There s still an awful long way to go in terms of how many minutes have left to be played across the continent, but in reality, just a few games separate some teams and a place in the European Championships. The game we re going to be taking a look at today will be contested between Azerbaijan and Wales, with neither side being in the best of positions.
Azerbaijan
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Azerbaijan as a footballing nation, mainly due to their political issues as well as just how far away they are from most of Europe s more prominent sides. They haven t really covered themselves in glory during qualifying, either, with the general hope being that they can continue to pour money into the grassroots work in the country so that they can eventually push for qualification in a few years time.
Team News
Despite being out of the running in the group, Azerbaijan are still expected to field their strongest possible starting XI with Seydayev being tipped to lead the way as captain Qarayev leads the way through the middle of the park.
Wales
This is hardly the same Wales team that romped towards the semi-finals of Euro 2016 but in many ways, it doesn t need to be. The Welsh have a steady squad and are slowly building something special with each and every passing day. They know that they ve let themselves down a few times during this campaign already, but that isn t going to stop them from pushing on.
Team News
Bale is expected to feature in a more central role than usual with Wilson and James manning the flanks for Wales. Williams is out with an injury whereas Ramsey is back in the squad and will be ready to make an impact for the first time in around a year.
Factors to Consider
In the reverse fixture, Wales were able to defeat Azerbaijan 2-1.
Azerbaijan have won one, drawn one and lost four of their last six games.
Wales have won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six games.
Azerbaijan have scored seven goals and conceded 14 in their last six games.
Wales have scored six goals and conceded six in their last six games.
Conclusion
Wales will be well aware of the fact that a place in the playoffs could come down to what happened in the Nations League, but even with that being the case, we still think they re going to go for it here. Ryan Giggs won t want to leave any stone unturned, and while Azerbaijan isn t exactly the easiest place to go and get a result, they ve got enough strength in depth to make it happen. It should be a pretty cagey affair but in the end, the visitors will get the job done.
Prediction: Wales win
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