Azerbaijan vs France Prediction 17 November 2025

🔊 What intrigue can be found in the match between Azerbaijan and France? The hosts are at the bottom of the table with no chance of even securing third place. The visitors have already clinched the top spot and a ticket to the next World Cup. This gives a reasonable prediction that Didier Deschamps might field a less-than-full-strength lineup. In October, Iceland managed to put up a fight at home against "Les Bleus," with the French playing a semi-reserve squad and drawing the match. Currently, Azerbaijan's level falls short of Iceland's, so the intrigue lies in whether Ayhan Abbasov's team can manage to score against France.

Head-to-Head

📊 On October 10, at the Parc des Princes, France cruised to a 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Mbappé, Rabiot, and Thauvin found the back of the net.

Azerbaijan Team Overview

🔵 Azerbaijan have confirmed their status as the underdogs in Group D, securing the bottom spot prematurely after losing to Iceland in Baku (0-2) in the previous round. "Milli" conceded twice in the first half and failed to score in the second, despite showing a more competitive performance. The team has one draw and four defeats, trailing third place by 6 points. Abbasov's side has a goal difference of 2:13 (-11). Like France, they have nothing left to fight for in this campaign, but they will undoubtedly want to bid farewell to their fans in style—perhaps by attempting to replicate the recent success of Qarabag in their match against Chelsea (2-2), where they managed to take points off the group leaders.

France Team Overview

🔵 The "Blues" faced Ukraine at the Parc des Princes in their last outing, securing a 4-0 victory. Despite their relentless pressure in the first half, Didier Deschamps' side couldn't find the net before the break. In the second half, Mbappe opened the scoring with a penalty won by Olise, who later doubled France's lead. Mbappe added another, and Hugo Ekitike scored his debut goal to seal the win. This triumph marked their fourth in the group, securing them the top spot with 13 points and a goal difference of 13:3 (+10). Deschamps is expected to rotate the squad in Baku, as several players have left the camp due to injuries. With such a wealth of talent at his disposal, it makes sense to give the reserves a chance in matches like these.

Latest news

Azerbaijan

❌ Qarabag defender Toral Bayramov was substituted in the 60th minute of the match against Iceland and is now out of the squad due to injury.

France

🎙️ Deschamps shared his emotions following the early qualification for the World Cup: "For many, it's logical and normal for France to qualify, but we shouldn't take it for granted — we certainly don't. I'm not the most emotional person, I admit, but moments like these need to be cherished. And we'll be there, especially since I never got the chance to see America as a player, so of course, I feel a great sense of pride."

❌ France's captain Kylian Mbappe will not play against Azerbaijan due to an ankle inflammation. The player has already returned to Real Madrid. He arrived in Madrid alongside the "Los Blancos" midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who has a muscle injury.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

Andris Treimanis has been appointed as the main referee. The Latvian official has averaged five yellow cards over his last 10 matches. In the first head-to-head in Paris, Azerbaijan led the yellow card count 2-1. Across five qualifying matches, the "Milli" have received 12 yellow cards, while the Blues have six. We opt for Azerbaijan's individual total of over 1.5 yellow cards, which has hit in 4 out of 5 qualifying matches.

⚽ Goal Prediction

It's hard to predict France's lineup, but the skill level of any attacking player in this squad is elite. They should make a difference even without motivation—purely through class. We select France's individual total of under 3.5 goals, which has occurred in 5 of the last 6 matches for the French team.

🚩 Corner Prediction

In Paris, France approached the corner flag 10 times, while Azerbaijan had none. Over five rounds, Abbasov's side earned 12 corners (an average of 2.4), whereas Deschamps' team accumulated 34 (6.8). We choose a risky bet—Azerbaijan's individual total of over 1.5 corners, which has succeeded at home in 15 of their last 16 matches.

This match lacks a truly intriguing storyline. Certainly, Azerbaijan will try to put up a fight at home and find the back of the French net, but their attacking capabilities are clearly inferior to their opponents'. Didier Deschamps, on the other hand, is expected to give opportunities to some of the less prominent players, and it's likely that a second-string lineup will take the field from the start. However, looking at that roster, it’s evident that even this squad should be able to overcome their upcoming opponents, despite having already secured their tournament objectives. The task for the reserves is to prove they deserve a spot in the team and, consequently, a trip to the USA, Canada, and Mexico. We don't foresee a high-scoring affair in this encounter but predict a comfortable clean sheet victory for Les Bleus—either 2-0 or 3-0. Our prediction: total under 4 goals.