After failing to qualify for the 2024 European Championships in Germany, Azerbaijan participated in four friendly matches during the March and June international windows. They only suffered one defeat out of the four games, which occurred against Albania with a score of 3-1 on June 7.

The most recent fixture for Milli Komanda was a friendly match against Kazakhstan on June 11, where goals from Mahir Emreli, Emin Makhmudov, and Tural Bayramov secured a positive result at Haladas Stadion in Hungary.

Azerbaijan experienced one of their heaviest defeats in recent times during their latest competitive match in November 2023. This occurred when Romelu Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium, leading them to a five-goal victory in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Having finished second in League C during the 2022-23 edition of the UEFA Nations League, Milli Komanda now finds themselves back in the third tier of the competition. Their aim is to finish within the top two of their section to have an opportunity for promotion to League B.

Heading into the Nations League opener on Thursday night, Sweden is seeking a significant improvement from their previous trip to Baku in November 2023. The three-goal defeat in Euro qualifying was a major setback for the Scandinavian country's hopes of reaching Germany.

After an eight-game qualification campaign, the Blue and White finished third in their section with 10 points, trailing second-placed Austria by nine points. Austria went on to be a surprise contender at the European Championships under the leadership of Ralf Rangnick.

With some of the top teams in League C of this year's Nations League, Sweden is heavily favored to win their group, which includes Azerbaijan (Thursday's hosts), Slovakia, and Estonia. Estonia most recently competed against San Marino and Malta in the last edition of this competition.

Following his unsuccessful attempt to lead Blackburn Rovers back to the Premier League from the Championship in England, Jon Dahl Tomasson is now tasked with guiding Sweden to success in the Nations League and World Cup qualification next year.

Azerbaijan possible starting lineup:

Mammadaliyev; Seydiyev, Huseynov, Krivotsyuk, Jafarguliyev; Jamalov, Makhmudov, Isayev; Sheydaev, Bayramov, Emreli

Sweden possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Holm, Starfelt, Hien, Cajuste; Kulusevski, Saletros, Forsberg; Eliasson, Isak, Elanga

Prediction:Azerbaijan 1-2 Sweden

Azerbaijan VS Sweden stream and TV listing

International：Holasports