Azernews.Az

The Azerbaijan national football team will play two friendly matches, against Haiti on March 22 and Belarus on March 25, as reported by Azernews, citing Idman.biz. These games will be the first under the leadership of Fernando Santos in 2025.

It is interesting to analyze how successful the national team has been in their first matches of each year between 1994 and 2024, and to identify any trends in the results of these matches over the last decade.

Results from 1994 to 2024

Let's break down the results of the Azerbaijan national team's first matches of each year by decade.

First Decade: 1994-2003

Between 1994 and 2003, the Azerbaijan national team played 20 matches in the beginning of each year. The team won 4 of them, drew 3, and lost 13. Out of these 20 matches, 4 were official, and 16 were friendly. The win percentage was 20%, with a draw rate of 15%, and a loss rate of 65%.

Second Decade: 2004-2013

In the second decade, the national team played 20 matches each year, with improved results: 6 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses. The number of official matches increased to 6. The win rate was 30%, the draw rate rose to 35%, and the loss rate decreased to 35%.

Third Decade: 2014-2023

During this period, the team played 20 matches in the first part of each year, securing 5 wins, 5 draws, and 10 losses. The number of official matches remained at 6. The win and draw percentages stood at 25%, with the loss rate reaching 50%.

2024 Year

In 2024, the Azerbaijan national team played two friendly matches at the beginning of the year, one of which ended in a draw and the other in a win.

Impact of Early-Year Matches on Results

Analysis shows that in the first friendly matches of the year, the Azerbaijan national team achieved 11 wins, 13 draws, and 7 losses. For the second friendly matches of the year, the results were 10 wins, 6 draws, and 12 losses.

In the first official matches of the year, the team secured 1 win, 1 draw, and 6 losses. In the second official matches of the year, the results were 1 win, 1 draw, and 5 losses.

In comparison to official matches, the Azerbaijan national team demonstrates a higher win percentage in friendly matches at the start of the year. This can be attributed to less pressure and the opportunity to experiment with the squad. However, the total number of wins remains low in both categories.

Results: A Cautious Approach as Usual

An analysis of the Azerbaijan national football team's performance in the first two matches of each year between 1994 and 2024 reveals that the team generally performs better in friendlies than in official matches at the start of the year. The overall win percentage for these early-year matches remains relatively low, aligning with the team's overall performance statistics in international competitions.

While some improvements were observed between 2004 and 2013 compared to the first decade, the trend of an increase in draws has been notable in the more recent years (2014-2024), although there has been no significant improvement in the results of the first two matches of the year.

It is also important to note that the beginning of the football season is often challenging for the Azerbaijan national team, which tends to adopt a cautious approach, especially in official matches, to avoid defeat. Improving the team’s performance in the early matches of the year can positively influence their results throughout the entire season.