Azerbaijan 2-1 San Marino: Match Report

Azerbaijan overturned an early scare to beat San Marino 2-1 in Szombathely on Tuesday, keeping Fernando Santos’ rebuild on schedule. Roberto Cevoli’s visitors struck first and tried to slow the pace, yet the hosts found a way back through rehearsed combinations and decisive half-time adjustments.

Match Summary

San Marino stunned the crowd in the 9th minute when Nikola Nanni finished from Alessandro Tosi’s pass, punishing static defending. Azerbaijan needed rhythm quickly, and Rahman Dashdamirov supplied it by converting Tellur Mutallimov’s delivery in the 28th minute. Santos kept his shape but refreshed the side with a triple substitution at the interval: Toral Bayramov replaced Aykhan Guseynov, Ali Isayev came on for Sabuhi Abdullazada, and Emil Safarov took over from Rüstəm Ahmadzada.

The reshuffle paid off immediately. Bayramov threaded a pass for Renat Dadashov to score in the 49th minute, completing the turnaround. From there Azerbaijan managed the tempo amid a flurry of bookings, including simultaneous yellow cards in the 66th minute for Bayramov, Safarov, Nanni, and Tosi as frustration rose on both sides.

Tactical Breakdown

Santos stuck with a 4-3-3 built around Dashdamirov’s overlaps and Mutallimov’s width on the right. Their link-up for the 28th minute equaliser underlined the pre-planned overloads aimed at San Marino’s left side. After the break Bayramov added sharper movement between the lines, and his assist for Dadashov in the 49th minute showed Azerbaijan’s ability to pin the visitors deep before sliding a direct ball into the penalty area.

Cevoli also lined up his team in a 4-3-3, relying on Nanni to hold play and release runners. The opener in the 9th minute followed that blueprint, with Tosi surging forward to combine. However, once Azerbaijan raised the tempo, San Marino’s midfield trio lost their compactness. Cevoli responded with a triple substitution on 56 minutes—introducing Gianmarco Capicchioni, Simone Pancotti, and Marcello Mularoni—but momentum had already shifted decisively.

Azerbaijan’s discipline wavered before the hour: Emin Mahmudov was booked in the 31st minute, Aykhan Guseynov followed in the 35th, and Rahil Mammadov collected a caution in the 46th minute. Even so, the back line limited San Marino to half-chances after the early concession.

Key Performers

• Rahman Dashdamirov: Levelled the match in the 28th minute and anchored the right flank, offering thrust from deep.
• Toral Bayramov: Introduced at the break, booked in the 66th minute, but crucially assisted Dadashov’s winner.
• Tellur Mutallimov: Created the equaliser and stretched San Marino’s defence before departing in the 86th minute.
• Nikola Nanni: Scored in the 9th minute and provided San Marino’s outlet despite limited service.

Lineups

• Azerbaijan (4-3-3, Head Coach: Fernando Santos): Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev; Rahman Dashdamirov, Rahil Mammadov, Jalal Huseynov, Aykhan Guseynov; Rüfət Abbasov, Sabuhi Abdullazada, Emin Mahmudov; Tellur Mutallimov, Rüstəm Ahmadzada, Renat Dadashov.
  Subs used: Toral Bayramov (46'), Ali Isayev (46'), Emil Safarov (46'), Mahir Emreli (61'), Elnur Cafarquliyev (61'), Namiq Akhundzade (75'), Amil Sadikhov (86'), Badavi Huseynov (86').

• San Marino (4-3-3, Head Coach: Roberto Cevoli): Edoardo Colombo; Mikele Cevoli, Marko Pasolini, Filippo Fabbri, Alessandro Tosi; Lorenzo Capicchioni, Samuele Zannoni, Kristian Meloni; Lorenzo Lazzari, Nikola Nanni, Nikolas Giacopetti.
  Subs used: Gianmarco Capicchioni (56'), Simone Pancotti (56'), Marcello Mularoni (56'), Mattia Valli Casadei (77'), Gabriele Benvenuti (77'), Simone Giocondi (87'), Pietro Marinucci (87'), Federico Salicioni (87').

Discipline

• Yellow cards (Azerbaijan): Emin Mahmudov 31', Aykhan Guseynov 35', Rahil Mammadov 46', Toral Bayramov 66', Emil Safarov 66'.
• Yellow cards (San Marino): Lorenzo Capicchioni 42', Lorenzo Lazzari 53', Nikola Nanni 66', Alessandro Tosi 66', Marcello Mularoni 89'.

Stats

• Goals: Azerbaijan 2 (Dashdamirov 28', Dadashov 49') | San Marino 1 (Nanni 9')
• Assists: Azerbaijan 2 (Mutallimov, Bayramov) | San Marino 1 (Tosi)

Looking Ahead

Azerbaijan will aim to build on this momentum when they return to competitive action in the autumn, with Bayramov and Mutallimov pressing their case for bigger roles. San Marino leave Hungary frustrated but encouraged by another competitive outing, and Cevoli’s priority will be extending Nanni’s influence into sustained attacking pressure when their next window arrives.