Match Overview

The highly anticipated eighth-round fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign will see Ukraine face Azerbaijan on October 13. The match is scheduled to be held at the Józef Piłsudski Cracovia Stadium in Poland. This comprehensive preview offers a detailed prediction, betting insights, current odds, and key statistics for the Ukraine vs Azerbaijan encounter.

Ukraine

Team Form & Qualification Standing

Ukraine seems poised to once again secure the second spot in their qualification group, likely leading to another playoff route for a major football tournament berth. Under Serhiy Rebrov’s guidance, the team currently holds second place. Their recent dominant 5-3 away victory against Iceland solidified their position over their primary competitor in Group D. Challenging France for the top spot appears to be a formidable task, given the five-point deficit and a 0-2 loss in their previous direct encounter.

Key Statistics

• Ukraine has demonstrated resilience in their World Cup qualification history, suffering only two defeats across their last 13 qualifiers, alongside four victories and seven draws.
• Both teams have found the net in 10 of the national team’s last 13 World Cup qualification fixtures.
• Remarkably, 13 of Ukraine’s last 17 World Cup qualification matches have featured two goals or fewer in total.

Ukraine Predicted Lineup (4-5-1)

Anatoliy Trubin – Yukhym Konoplya, Illia Zabarnyi, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Mykola Matviyenko – Ruslan Malinovskyi, Yehor Yarmolyuk, Mykola Shaparenko, Nazar Voloshyn, Oleksiy Hutsulyak – Vladyslav Vanat.

Ukraine Injury Update

Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, midfielders Heorhiy Sudakov and Oleksandr Zubkov, as well as forwards Roman Yaremchuk and Viktor Tsyhankov, are sidelined due to injuries.

Azerbaijan

Team Form & Qualification Standing

Under the leadership of Ayhan Abbasov, Azerbaijan has struggled in the current group stage, securing a positive result in only one fixture – a surprising 1-1 draw against Ukraine. Their other two matches ended in heavy away defeats: 0-5 against Iceland and 0-3 against France. Currently at the bottom of the group, a failure to win this match would effectively extinguish their slim chances of reaching the top spot.

Key Statistics

• Azerbaijan is currently enduring a 13-match winless streak in World Cup qualifiers, comprising two draws and eleven losses.
• A high-scoring trend has been observed in Azerbaijan’s recent World Cup qualifiers, with at least three goals being scored in six of their last seven outings.
• Defensive vulnerabilities have plagued the Caucasian side, as they have conceded three or more goals in six of their past seven World Cup qualification encounters.

Azerbaijan Predicted Lineup (5-4-1)

Shahruddin Mahammadaliyev – Anton Krivotsyuk, Bahlul Mustafazada, Elvin Badalov, Kismat Aliyev, Elvin Jafarguliyev – Abdulla Khaybulayev, Emin Mahmudov, Toral Bayramov, Rustam Ahmadzade – Mahir Emreli.

Referee

Match Official: Sebastian Gishamer

Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)

Referee Performance Statistics

Matches officiated – 14 (International matches, 2024–2025);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 63;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;

Red cards shown – 5;

Average fouls per match – 25;

Penalties awarded – 14%.

Ukraine – Azerbaijan Match Prediction

Ukraine’s Imperative for Victory

Ukraine often complicates matters for themselves. In their initial encounter with Azerbaijan, Serhiy Rebrov’s squad was expected to comfortably defeat the group’s underdog but surprisingly only managed a draw, a stark contrast to how other teams in the group dominated the Caucasian side. However, Ukraine demonstrated their resolve by securing a two-goal victory against Iceland in their subsequent match. Avoiding another slip-up against Azerbaijan is crucial to maintain their second-place standing.

Azerbaijan’s Struggles

Azerbaijan finds it challenging to compete against the other teams in the quartet. While they managed to secure a point once, Ukraine is unlikely to repeat their earlier misstep and is expected to decisively overcome the outsider in this return fixture. Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s performance in World Cup qualifiers is generally weak, particularly in away games, where they have lost eight of their last nine matches. Within this sequence, six of those defeats were by a margin of two goals or more.

Final Betting Tip

My final prediction for this match is a **”Ukraine with a -1.5 Asian Handicap”** bet, offering odds of **1.67**.