France 3, Azerbaijan 1

BAKU, Azerbaijan (Interstat) — France opened its World Cup qualifying campaign with a commanding 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan on Sunday, though the final scoreline was flattered by a bizarre, late own goal from the home side’s goalkeeper. Playing before a crowd at the Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika stadionu, the heavily favored French side demonstrated its offensive firepower, overcoming an early shock to control the match and secure three points. The home side, however, provided a stunning start against the run of play. With just four minutes on the clock, forward Renat Dadaşov found the net, capitalizing on a defensive lapse… Read more...