Azerbaijan v France: Line-ups, stats and preview
Full preview of Azerbaijan vs France in World Cup qualifying
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Azerbaijan v France preview
Ibrahima Konate insisted France will take their final World Cup qualifier with Azerbaijan seriously despite having already clinched qualification.
Didier Deschamps’ side clinched their spot at the 2026 finals with a 4-0 win over Ukraine last Thursday.
France are unbeaten in Group D, and Konate is keen to ensure they do not blemish their record in Baku.
“The message is complicated but simple at the same time: every match is important,” Konate said.
“It’s our job; we have to enjoy it. It’s the national team. We’ll have to win the points and put up stats, too – especially the attacking players.”
Azerbaijan will finish bottom of the group, having lost 2-0 to Iceland last time out.
“We wanted to win points and believed we would,” Caretaker boss Aykhan Abbasov said of that defeat.
“The strength of our opponents was clear – Iceland looked more compact collectively, compared to Ukraine [2-1 away defeat on October 13].
“We played better in the second half and we had opportunities to score . We have the last match against France and we will prepare well for it.”
Azerbaijan v France team news
Kylian Mbappe will not feature having withdrawn from the squad due to injury.
Deschamps said of Mbappe’s injury: “Kylian still has a swelling to his ankle. I have allowed him to go back to Real Madrid; their staff will decide what they have to do about it.
“There is no point in taking risks with anyone.”
Eduardo Camavinga (thigh) has also been sent back to Madrid, while Kouadio Kone is suspended.
Azerbaijan v France predicted lineups
Azerbaijan starting XI: Bayramov; Badalov, Mustafazade, Krivotsyuk; Huseynov, Makhmudov, Khaybulaev, Abbasov; Akhmedzade, Aliyev, Akhundzade
France starting XI: Chevalier; Gusto, Konate, Saliba, L Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Kante; Nkunku, Cherki, Barcola; Ekitike
How to watch Azerbaijan v France: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Sunday is at 17:00 BST (12:00 ET / 09:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Amazon Prime PPV, which charges £2.49 for the game.
Azerbaijan v France stats
Azerbaijan v France prediction
Azerbaijan
France
Already sure of qualification, France would be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas. However, they’ll still have too much for Azerbaijan.
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