Preview: Azerbaijan vs. Qatar - prediction, team news, lineups

With their World Cup 2022 Qualifying campaign now done and dusted, Azerbaijan prepare for a friendly encounter with next year's hosts Qatar on Sunday evening.

Giovanni De Biasi's men finished last in their qualifying group, while Qatar were humbled 4-0 by Serbia in another exhibition encounter earlier this week.

Match preview

© Reuters

An early red card to Tellur Mutallimov for violent conduct meant that Azerbaijan were fighting an uphill battle against Luxembourg from the 21st minute, but not until the second half did their visitors take proper advantage of their extra man in World Cup Qualifying Group A.

Gerson Rodrigues bagged a brace either side of Sebastien Thill's strike in the final 25 minutes, and while Azar Salahly did make things interesting with his late effort, there was to be no sensational comeback from the basement boys during their final game.

Now consigned to finish at the bottom of Group A with just one point taken from a possible 24, Azerbaijan only have a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland to show for their efforts in World Cup qualifying and will desperately attempt to end 2021 on a high note here.

However, it is now four defeats on the bounce for De Biasi's side ahead of this game - during which they have conceded three goals in every game of that miserable streak - although they have lost just two of their last 16 friendly encounters on home soil.

© Reuters

While they wait to learn the fate of their opponents in next year's World Cup, Qatar have been pitting their wits against the Group A sides in friendly fixtures, but the 2022 hosts have been humbled more often than not.

Felix Sanchez's side almost made it to half time at 0-0 against a second-string Serbia side on Thursday evening before Sasa Lukic's opener, which opened the floodgates for Luka Jovic and substitutes Dusan Vlahovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to register in a comfortable 4-0 win.

Qatar's thrashing at the hands of the Serbians marked their third friendly loss in a row following previous defeats to Ireland and Portugal since the start of September, and a 1-1 draw with Luxembourg represents their only positive result of an otherwise abysmal friendly period.

Momentum is not exactly on Qatar's side before their Arab Cup campaign begins later this month, but their most recent meeting with Azerbaijan did end in a 2-1 friendly victory back in March.

Team News

© Reuters

Azerbaijan coach De Biasi has no fresh injury concerns to work around for this contest but is sure to shuffle the pack after a taxing evening against Luxembourg.

Renat Dadashov and Rustam Ahmadzada are both pushing to come into the XI up top, while 18-year-old Calal Huseynov will be holding out for a start in De Biasi's three-man defence.

Meanwhile, Qatar defender Bassam Al-Rawi came on as a second-half substitute against Serbia but lasted just 26 minutes of that encounter before being forced off with an injury.

A raft of half-time changes saw Ali Asad, Karim Boudiaf and Ahmed Alaaeldin introduced on Thursday, but attackers Hassan Al-Haydos and Akram Afif were not involved in that 4-0 loss.

Azerbaijan possible starting lineup:

Balayev; Medvedev, Kryvotsiuk, Celik; Seydiyev, Mahmudov, Mustafayev, Salahly; Alasgarov; Emreli, Dadashov

Qatar possible starting lineup:

Al-Sheeb; Salman, Khoukhi, Miguel; Khoder, Al-Bayati, Hatem, Madibo, Hassan; Ali, Alaaeldin

We say: Azerbaijan 0-0 Qatar

Neither Azerbaijan nor Qatar will be feeling particularly confident about their ability to come up trumps here, and the World Cup hosts will endeavour to avoid any fitness woes before the Arab Cup kicks off.

With changes likely on both ends and nothing but bragging rights on the line, we expect a low-key affair to end without the net rippling once.