Azerbaijan vs Lithuania 1-0

Azerbaijan beat Lithuania 1-0 at Bakcell Arena after Abdulakh Khaybulaev struck in the 25th minute. A VAR check in the second half overturned any chance of a red card for the scorer.

Khaybulaev opened the scoring on 25 minutes, finishing Tural Bayramov's assist to make it 1-0. He was booked on 33 minutes, while Lithuania's Modestas Vorobjovas was cautioned on 43 minutes before both sides made changes at the break. Lithuania made two substitutions on 45 minutes, with Lukas Michelbrink and Kipras Kazukolovas replacing Vorobjovas and Edgaras Utkus, and Azerbaijan also changed once at the same point as Vüsal İsgändärli came on for Bayramov. Azerbaijan led 1-0 at half-time.

The second half brought more stoppages than scoring. Azerbaijan's Abdulakh Khaybulaev saw a red card cancelled by VAR on 53 minutes, and Lithuania's Artur Dolžnikov was booked on 54 minutes. Azerbaijan then made two changes on 64 minutes, with Emil Safarov and Renat Dadaşov replacing Oruc Məmmədov and Khaybulaev, before Lithuania went again through Motiejus Burba and Eligijus Jankauskas on 67 and 68 minutes. Late substitutions followed for both sides, and Azerbaijan kept the lead to the end.

The numbers pointed to a tighter contest than the scoreline suggested in some areas and a clearer edge in others. Lithuania had 62% possession and 516 passes to Azerbaijan's 38% and 326, yet the hosts had 7 shots on target to Lithuania's 3 and more saves in their own box, with 6 to 3. The shot count was level at 13 apiece, Lithuania won 5 corners to Azerbaijan's 2, and the fouls were 14-10 in Azerbaijan's favour.

Discipline was spread across both sides. Azerbaijan's bookings went to Abdulakh Khaybulaev on 33 minutes, Ayxan Abbasov on 51 minutes, Vüsal İsgändärli on 57 minutes and Elvin Badalov on 90+2 minutes. Lithuania's yellow cards went to Modestas Vorobjovas on 43 minutes and Artur Dolžnikov on 54 minutes. There were no red cards.