Azerbaijan 0-3 Portugal: 5 Talking points as Portugal wrap up the international break with routine win | FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers
Portugal made quick work of Azerbaijan, beating the hosts 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group stage fixture at Baku Olympic Stadium.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Andre Silva and Diogo Jota ensured that Fernando Santos' men earned a favourable result in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. He left the national team to train with his new club Manchester United over the weekend.
The men's all-time top goalscorer was suspended for the game after picking up a yellow card. He was booked for removing his shirt as he celebrated his second goal in the 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland.
It was a very routine outing for the 2016 EURO winners as they dominated possession. They also had five times more shooting chances than the hosts and did not concede a single shot on target.
Portugal looked sharp from the get-go and created a couple of chances early on but the decisive ball into the final third was missing. They then scored two goals in quick succession as Bernardo Silva produced a remarkable first-time finish from Bruno Fernandes' cross in the 26th minute. Just five minutes later, Andre Silva scored from close range.
Azerbaijan rarely provided any threat in the final third and even when they found themselves in good positions, their shooting was just wayward.
Portugal continued to be the dominant side in the game and their persistence paid off nicely. Diogo Jota also found the back of the net in the 75th minute to put the game's outcome beyond doubt.
With this win, Portugal went atop the Group A standings but automatic qualification is still not guaranteed. Here, we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Premier League trio impress in Portugal's win
Portugal signed off for the international break in September with an easy 3-0 win. And three Premier League stars stood out with their impressive attacking performances.
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva scored one of the best goals of the qualifying campaign, assisted by Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes. He again had a role in setting up the second goal as his long ball was misjudged by Liverpool forward Jota. The ball, eventually, fell kindly for Andre Silva.
Jota would finally get his goal in the second half and hence, a Premier League player was involved in all three goals for Portugal tonight. City's Joao Cancelo also impressed with his attacking contribution and picked up an assist to cap off a good display.
#4 Azerbaijan fail to score against Portugal yet again
Azerbaijan had failed to score against Portugal when they travelled to Allianz Stadium in March. The Portuguese team won 1-0 back then. They have managed to score in every qualifying game since but came up short against A Seleção again.
Historically, Azerbaijan have struggled against the Iberian giants and in their eight meetings across all competitions, have managed to score just once. That goal came all the way back in 1999, in the EURO 2000 qualifiers. They managed to draw 1-1 in that match.
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