Azerbaijan 0-3 Portugal: Jota seals comfortable victory

Azerbaijan 0-3 Portugal: Bruno Fernandes sets up Bernardo Silva’s stunning volley before Diogo Jota seals comfortable victory for visitors in World Cup qualifier despite absence of suspended Cristiano Ronaldo

  • Bernardo Silva’s volley from a Bruno Fernandes cross opened the scoring 
  • Fernandes was heavily involved again as Andre Silva tapped in the second  
  • Diogo Jota nodded home the third in the 75th minute to secure the victory 

Portugal cruised to a 3-0 victory away to Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday to move top of Group A.

Portugal were without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended after picking up a yellow card while celebrating his second goal in their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Ireland last week, but his absence was not felt as first-half strikes from Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva plus a Diogo Jota header secured victory.

The visitors, who were rarely troubled throughout, took the lead after 26 minutes as Bernardo latched onto Bruno Fernandes’s deep cross to volley in at the back post.

Diogo Jota nodded home the third in the 75th minute to secure the victory for Portugal

Azerbaijan: Mahammadaliyev, Huseynov, Badalov, Haghverdi, Salahli (Sadikhovat 76), Khalilzada (Ghorbaniat 45), Mahmudov, Emreli (Bayramovat 63), Qarayev (Nurievat 45), Ozobic (Mustafayevat 62), Alasgarov

Portugal: Rui Patrício, Cancelo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Guerreiro (Tavares Mendesat 71), Alves Palhinha Gonçalves (Nevesat 45), João Moutinho (João Mário 78), Bernardo Silva (Otávio 78), Bruno Fernandes, Jota (Gonçalo Guedes 78), André Silva

Goals: Bernardo Silva (26), André Silva (31), Jota (75) 

Fernandes was heavily involved again as Portugal doubled their lead, this time his cross was turned across goal by Jota for Andre Silva, who tapped in from close range.

Jota then rounded off the victory 15 minutes from fulltime, heading in Joao Cancelo’s centre.

The victory takes Fernando Santos’s side to the top of Group A with 13 points – three ahead of their qualification rivals Serbia, who visit Ireland later on Tuesday.

Bernardo Silva latched onto Bruno Fernandes’s deep cross to volley in at the back post

Fernandes was heavily involved again as Andre Silva tapped in the second in the 31st minute




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