Lithuania vs Azerbaijan Prediction & Preview - Nations League
Two second-half goals away in Liechtenstein were enough to open Lithuania's Nations League campaign with a 2-0 win last Thursday, and it matters here because it is the only form either side has shown in this specific competition before Sunday's meeting. Azerbaijan arrive off the back of a narrower win of their own, 1-0 away to Tajikistan, though that came in a friendly rather than the Nations League itself.
- Fixture: Lithuania v Azerbaijan
- Competition: UEFA Nations League
- Date: Sunday, 27 September 2026
- Kick-off: 14:00 BST
- Venue: Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas
Full match details are on the Lithuania vs Azerbaijan match page.
Lithuania's start to this Nations League campaign
Lithuania's 2-0 win in Liechtenstein was built in the second half, and it followed a mixed run through the spring. They beat Moldova 2-0 away in March, then lost 0-2 at home to Georgia three days later. There is no long unbeaten run to point to. What Sunday's game offers is a chance to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this year, in front of their own supporters in Kaunas rather than on the road.
Azerbaijan's better run since the turn of the year
Azerbaijan go into this having won four of their last five matches, including back-to-back victories over San Marino in June and Tajikistan just four days before this fixture. Two of those wins, over Saint Lucia and Sierra Leone in March, came in the FIFA Series rather than against Nations League opposition, so they say more about the calendar than the level. The Malta defeat in June, 0-2 at home, is the one blemish in that run and the closest guide to how Azerbaijan cope against a side with genuine European pedigree.
Why this is a fresh League D campaign for Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan were relegated from League C in the 2024-25 tournament, so this is their first League D campaign since 2018-19. A team dropping down a level should be expected to compete near the top of its new group, and their recent results back that up rather than just assert it.
Team news before kick-off
Azerbaijan's Abdulla Khaybulayev and Mahir Emreli both picked up injuries in the Tajikistan friendly. Khaybulayev is expected to be fit to face Lithuania, while a decision on Emreli's involvement is being left until closer to kick-off. For Lithuania, head coach Edgaras Jankauskas has named a 26-man squad for the window, handing Adrian Lickunas his first senior call-up after his debut for Cremonese, and recalling Vykintas Slivka, Artur Dolznikov, Faustas Steponavicius and Manfredas Ruzgis alongside returning names Kipras Kazukolovas, Edvinas Gertmonas and Pijus Sirvys.
Two meetings in the same window
This is not the only time these two play each other this window. Lithuania travel to Baku for the return fixture on 4 October, sandwiched around a friendly against Andorra. Whatever happens in Kaunas on Sunday will shape how that second meeting is read a week later.
Lithuania vs Azerbaijan prediction
Lithuania to edge a tight Nations League opener at home to Azerbaijan is our call for Kaunas on Sunday. Lithuania's win in Liechtenstein came from a similar defensive platform that should hold up at home, and Azerbaijan's own form is skewed by wins over sides well below Nations League level. The Malta defeat suggests Azerbaijan's finishing shortcomings could resurface here too.
Our prediction: Lithuania 2-1 Azerbaijan
Make your prediction
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