"It's important to minimize set-piece opportunities."
This was said by Jeyhun Sultanov, a former player of the Azerbaijan national team, Idman.biz reports.
He commented on the Azerbaijan - Sweden game within the Nations League.
According to Sultanov, it's not known who the head coach Fernando Santos will use in the main squad and what tactics they will prefer: "This match marks the first real test for our new head coach with the national team, making it difficult to predict the outcome. Santos, in his previous coaching roles, was known for fostering aggressive and well-organized football, thanks to the high-quality players he worked with. However, our current squad doesn't possess the same level of talent, so we expect a more defensive approach. The team will likely focus on a compact, indoor style of play, aiming to exploit the opponent through counterattacks.”
According to him, since we defeated the Swedes in the home match before, the opponent will try to take revenge from us: "I believe it's crucial to play smart football. We must avoid letting the opponent get too close to our net and minimize set-piece opportunities. It's important not to concede too many free kicks, as teams like ours often capitalize on these situations. Since this is the first game, the players may not fully grasp the head coach’s strategy yet, which could pose a challenge. Nevertheless, I wish the best of luck to our team and our nation."
The Azerbaijan-Sweden match will take place today at Tofig Bahramov Stadium at 20:00.
Banuchichek Huseynli
Idman.biz
