A proud National Team: narrow defeat to Azerbaijan and Nanni’s 5th goal

Strong winds and persistent rain greet Azerbaijan and San Marino at the Heladás Stadium in Szombathely from the very start of the warm-up, only easing off shortly before kick-off. In the Biancazzurri line-up, there are three changes from last Friday: Fabbri, Valli Casadei and Lazzari all come into the starting XI. For the occasion, Abbasov and Cevoli agreed that they could each use up to eleven substitutes during the match.

The game takes off immediately, thanks also to a brave approach from San Marino, who unsettle Magomedaliyev on Azerbaijan’s first build-up from the back, then free up Lorenzo Capicchioni’s left-footed effort, which is blocked. The home side respond down the flanks: Pasolini is crucial in clearing Akhmedzade’s cross, and the winger’s second attempt flashes across Colombo’s six-yard box without a touch. Shortly afterwards, the deadlock is broken: Tosi whips in an inswinging ball that finds the perfect run from Nanni, who powers home his fifth goal for the National Team. At the other end, Cevoli makes a vital intervention to block Mutallimov’s goalbound strike, while a counter-attacking move between Nanni and Giacopetti leads to the latter’s left-footed shot from twenty metres, kept out by Magomedaliyev. From the third corner of their game, Azerbaijan level just before the half-hour mark: Dashdamirov gets the final touch in a crowded San Marino box to make it 1-1. Capicchioni and Lazzari both threaten with right-footed efforts, while Makhmudov fails to hit the target from the edge of the area. On 40 minutes Abbasov’s men call Colombo into action for the first time; the Biancazzurri goalkeeper produces a superb reflex save with his foot to deny the Azerbaijani winger’s close-range header. Dashdamirov goes close again with another header right at the end of the half, nearly completing the turnaround.

Aykhan Abbasov makes three substitutions at the break, but the first foray of the second half belongs to San Marino: Nanni bursts through the middle and goes down in the area, but the referee sees no grounds for a penalty. The same reading is applied at the other end, where Cevoli takes a slightly greater risk. Colombo then deals well with a diagonal effort from substitute Bayramov, but can do nothing to stop Dadaşov’s thunderous right-foot strike, which rockets into the far top corner with the outside of the boot. San Marino’s response to falling behind again starts with a turnover near the halfway line. Nanni drives the counter and switches play to the opposite side, where Pancotti – only on the pitch a few minutes – cuts in onto his left before seeing his shot from the edge of the box blocked by a defender. Jafarguliyev also tries his luck with his left and plenty of ambition, but his volley fails to trouble Colombo with fifteen minutes remaining. San Marino come far closer to an equaliser on 80 minutes: Fabbri nods the ball inside for Nanni, who is onside and hits it first time, grazing the top of the crossbar from the heart of the penalty area. That is effectively the final real chance of a game which Azerbaijan manage to kill off in the closing stages. Worth noting is the senior debut of Marinucci, who comes on for the final spell of San Marino pressure that yields a corner – from which Salicioni cannot quite adjust his body to get a shot away – and a long-range free-kick from Pancotti, gathered by Magomedaliyev. The friendly on neutral ground in Szombathely ends in a narrow win for Azerbaijan: in Hungary, San Marino spend long spells flirting with a positive result against highly rated opposition.

International Friendly | Azerbaijan-San Marino 2-1

AZERBAIJAN (3-4-2-1)

Magomedaliyev; Mammadov, J. Hüseynov (86’ B. Hüseynov), Dashdamirov; Mutallimov (86’ Sadikhov), Abdullazade (46’ Isaev), Makhmudov (62’ Emreli), R. Abbasov (62’ Jafarguliyev); Guseynov (46’ Bayramov), Akhmedzade (46’ Safarov); Dadaşov (75’ Akhundzade)

Substitutes: Balayev, Jafarov, Badalov, Isgandarli, Aliyev, Ahmadzada

Head coach: Aykhan Abbasov

SAN MARINO (4-3-1-2)

Colombo; Fabbri (87’ Marinucci), M. Cevoli (77’ G. Benvenuti), Pasolini, Tosi (87’ Giocondi); Meloni (57’ Mularoni), L. Capicchioni (77’ Valli Casadei), Zannoni (57’ G. Capicchioni); Lazzari (57’ Pancotti); Giacopetti (87’ Salicioni), Nanni

Substitutes: Amici, De Angelis, Sancisi, Terni, Tamagnini

Head coach: Roberto Cevoli

Referee: Márton Rúsz (HUN)

Assistants: Balázs Szert (HUN), Balázs Szalai (HUN)

Fourth official: Bence Csonka (HUN)

Scorers: 9’ Nanni, 27’ Dashdamirov, 49’ Dadaşov

Booked: Makhmudov, Guseynov, L. Capicchioni, Mammadov, Lazzari, Safarov, Tosi, Nanni, Bayramov, Mularoni