Azerbaijan
National Team Information
Azerbaijan National Football Team History
Beginnings
Soccer became a popular sport in Azerbaijan in the early 20th century. At that time, it was part of the Russian Empire. They had their first unofficial match against Georgia in 1912 and won 4-2. Once Azerbaijan became a Soviet republic, in 1920, Azerbaijani players began to represent the USSR.
It wasn’t until 1991 that Azerbaijan gained its independence. A football federation was created in the newly-independent country shortly after. Azerbaijan’s first official victory came in 1993 when they defeated Georgia. They were accepted into both FIFA and UEFA one year later.
Modern History
Successful Azerbaijan soccer betting, at least on the national team, has not been easy over the years. In the 90s, they won just one Euro and World Cup qualifier combined. Azerbaijan didn’t win their first away match until 2004.
One of Azerbaijan’s best-ever results was a win over Turkey in 2010. Following the match, the Azerbaijan soccer ranking moved up to 90th, their best. Berti Vogts is the longest-serving manager in the team’s history. He was at the helm from 2008-2014.
Azerbaijan were dreadful in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, with seven losses and a draw. However, that draw came against World Cup runners-up Croatia. Azerbaijan also finished the 2022 World Cup qualifying, with seven losses and one draw.
- Gurban Gurbanov – Goals: 14
- Vagif Javadov – Goals: 9
- Emin Mahmudov, Ramil Sheydayev – Goals: 8
- Elvin Mammadov, Branimir Subašić, Dimitrij Nazarov, Rauf Aliyev – Goals: 7
Rashad Sadygov – A center back, Rashad Sadygov made 111 appearances for the national team. He’s the most-capped player in Azerbaijan’s history and is a record six-time Azerbaijani Footballer of the year.
Nazim Aliyev – Aliyev is the Azerbaijan Premier League’s all-time leading scorer. He led the league in scoring in three individual seasons as well.
Anatoliy Banishevskiy – It’s often said the greatest Azerbaijani player of all time is Anatoliy Banishevskiy. He spent his whole career with Neftçi and scored 20 goals for the USSR national team.
Alakbar Mammadov – Mammadov, a striker, was a four-time Soviet Top League champion. His best years were spent at Dynamo Moscow.
Qara Qarayev – He might not score many goals but Qara Qarayev makes his presence on the field felt. The defensive midfielder is a two-time Azerbaijani Footballer of the Year and seven-time Azerbaijan Premier League champion.
Azerbaijan was a part of the Soviet Union before it dissolved; hence, they’ve only had their national team since 1992. As such, Azerbaijan has never qualified for a major tournament. That means Azerbaijan soccer betting, at least on the national team, is limited to the UEFA Nations League, qualifying tournaments, and friendlies.
Azerbaijan’s best performance in World Cup Qualifiers was for Brazil in 2014. They finished fourth in their group with one win, six draws, and just three losses. For Euro qualifiers, they’ve never finished above fifth in their group. Their worst qualifying campaign was for Euro ‘96, when they lost nine games and drew one.
Azerbaijan Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Azerbaijan Premier League:
The top Azerbaijan soccer league is called the Azerbaijan Premier League. It is currently contested by 10 clubs from the 2022-23 season onward. Each team plays each of the other teams four times: twice at home and twice away.
The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion. The winner of the Azerbaijan Premier League qualifies for the Champions League second qualifying round. Meanwhile, the league hasn’t had promotion or relegation since the 2018-19 season.
Azerbaijan Premier League Clubs 2022-23:
| Team |
|---|
| Qarabag FK |
| Sabah FK |
| Neftçi |
| Zira |
| Gabala |
| Turan |
| Sabail |
| Kapaz |
| Sumqayit |
| Shamakhi |
Azerbaijan First Division:
The Azerbaijan First Division is a bit of a misnomer. It is the second-tier league on the Azerbaijani football pyramid. There are currently a total of 15 Azerbaijan soccer teams in the league.
The league follows a double round-robin format, and teams regularly participate in the Azerbaijan Cup. You may notice that many of the clubs are reserve teams for teams in the Azerbaijan Premier League.
EFL Teams 2022-2023 Season
| Team |
|---|
| Araz Naxçıvan |
| Turan Tovuz- |
| Neftçi-2 |
| MOİK |
| Zira-2 |
| Sabail-2 |
| Gabala-2 |
| Shamakhi-2 |
| Qaradağ Lökbatan |
| Mingachevir |
| Qarabag-2 |
| Kapaz-2 |
| Sumqayit-2 |
| Zaqatala |
| İmişli6 |
Azerbaijan Cups & Tournaments
The Azerbaijan Cup is the only domestic soccer tournament. There was previously a “Super Cup” between the winner of the Azerbaijan Cup and the Azerbaijan Premier League, but it is now defunct. All clubs from the Premier League and First Division compete in the knockout-style tournament.
The winner qualifies for UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. Qarabag won their seventh trophy in 2022, with a penalty shootout victory over Zira.
Azerbaijan Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the Azerbaijan Premier League
Those who follow the Azerbaijan Premier League closely might have a good shot at making some money. There is not as much coverage or information about the league that is readily available to bettors.
However, one thing has been certain over the last few years: Qarabag. The club from Baku is the first from Azerbaijan to play in the Champions League group stage and has won eight of the last nine titles.
Qarabag scored nearly 25 percent of the Azerbaijan Premier League’s goals in the 2021-22 season. Away teams also did quite well in 2021-22, with a 36% win percentage. Interestingly, five of the eight clubs in the league had more wins than losses away from home.
Azerbaijan soccer betting on both teams to score was often a losing proposition. It happened in just 42 percent of games last season.
Totals betting was also difficult to get right, as over 2½ goals hit 49 percent of the time. Now that the league has 10 clubs, the betting outlook has changed a bit.
There seems to be a big gap in quality between the league’s top teams and bottom ones. Moneylines may often not offer a lot of value in games expected to be blowouts. So spread and totals could potentially be two types of bets to focus on.
Azerbaijan National Team Betting Tips & Odds
The Azerbaijan national team has gone through a rough period over the last few years. They’re currently nowhere near where they need to be to qualify for a major tournament.
However, they did win their last three games in the 2022 UEFA Nations League C to finish second in their group. That included an impressive win over Slovakia on the road.
One problem with Azerbaijan’s squad is that they have lacked a prolific scorer for as long as they’ve been independent. Their top scorer of all-time, Gurab Gurbanov, scored just 14 goals for Azerbaijan. That certainly showed in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where Azerbaijan scored just five goals in eight matches.
The next major event for Azerbaijan is the 2024 UEFA Euro qualifying. They’re in a tough group with Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Estonia. Anything above a fourth-place finish would be considered a major shock, and the top two teams advance to the final tournament.
Conclusion
Betting on Azerbaijani soccer is certainly a bit exotic. Caution is certainly warranted for all except for the most seasoned bettors. Betting on Qarabag is a notable exception to this rule. They started their 2022-23 Europa League campaign well and have regularly participated in European competitions. Otherwise, there are no Azerbaijani clubs that come even close to being household names in soccer circles.
There will be opportunities to bet on the national team in Euro 2024 qualifiers. Even with a permanent Euro expansion to 24 clubs, it is unlikely Azerbaijan will get anywhere close to the final tournament.
However, that’s not to say that betting on Azerbaijan can’t be profitable in certain instances. They’ve done well on the road in recent seasons compared to their expectations. As of October 2022, just two of Milli Komanda’s last 29 matches have finished with four or more goals.
