Italy v Azerbaijan background
Monday, June 2, 2014
Article summary
Italy take on Azerbaijan in their second UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H fixture in the knowledge that they have a 100% record against their visitors at senior and youth level.
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Article body
Italy's past record against Azerbaijan at senior, youth and age-limit levels makes them the overwhelming favourites as the sides meet in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H.
Match background
• Italy won both of their previous meetings with Azerbaijan without conceding a goal – 2-0 in Baku and 4-0 in Reggio Calabria in UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying.
• Giovanni Trapattoni's Italy benefited from Tarlan Akhmedov's own goal (33) and an Alessandro Del Piero strike (65) as they beat Vagif Sadygov's side 2-0 in Baku on 7 September 2002, while they confirmed their place in the finals with a 4-0 win in the reverse fixture on 11 October 2003, Christian Vieri (15), Filippo Inzaghi (23 and 86) and Marco Di Vaio (64) scoring the goals.
• Italy and Azerbaijan have met in seven UEFA youth and age-limit tournaments, with Italy very much on top, boasting the record W6 D1 L0. That sole draw was a 0-0 in a UEFA European Under-16 Championship qualifier on 4 March 1997. It was only in the last of those seven encounters – a 2-1 defeat at Under-19 level in Sweden – that Azerbaijan scored their first goal against Italy.
• FC Internazionale Milano have figured in both previous meetings between clubs from the two countries. First, Inter beat Neftçi PFK 3-1 in Baku before a 2-2 draw in Milan in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage. The Nerazzurri then won 2-0 at home to Qarabağ FK in the same competition's 2014/15 group stage.
• The nations' clubs have tended to be more closely matched in futsal, but their sole competitive encounter at international level – a UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 group stage game – ended in a 7-0 win for Italy in Antwerp.
