Iceland Faces Azerbaijan in Crucial World Cup Qualifier

Baku, Azerbaijan — Iceland aims to keep its World Cup qualifying hopes alive on Thursday when it faces Azerbaijan at Neftci Arena. With just two matches left in the group stage, Iceland sits three points behind Ukraine for the second spot in Group D.

A win is essential for Iceland, who cannot afford to drop points against the last-placed team, Azerbaijan. The hosts have struggled significantly during this qualifying campaign, earning only one point from four matches.

In their last encounter in September, Iceland defeated Azerbaijan decisively, winning 5-0. Now playing on Azerbaijan’s home turf, the hosts are hoping to leverage any advantage they can muster. Azerbaijan has been winless for most of the year and has not secured a victory in 13 international matches.

Iceland’s recent form offers some encouragement, as they fought to a 2-2 draw against the formidable French team last month. Iceland currently sits third in Group D and aims to secure playoff qualification with a strong finish in their remaining matches.

Azerbaijan’s caretaker coach, Aykhan Abbasov, is expected to make several changes in an attempt to find a winning formula. Key players may include Arif Makhmudov and striker Andri Gudjohnsen from Blackburn Rovers, both crucial for their teams.

The match kicks off at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET on Thursday and will be available for streaming. Fans are hopeful the match will produce exciting action as both teams have much to prove.

Iceland will need to capitalize on this opportunity to ensure they remain in contention for a World Cup spot as they head into the final matchday. A loss for Azerbaijan could seal their fate in this qualifying round.