Bring on Azerbaijan for Belgium
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Article summary
Belgium will look to step up their challenge for a UEFA EURO 2012 place as they meet Azerbaijan in Group A, having prevailed in both of their meetings in 2008 qualifying.
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Article body
Belgium will look to step up their challenge for a UEFA EURO 2012 place as they meet Azerbaijan in Group A.
Match background
• The teams are meeting for the third time, with Belgium having beaten Azerbaijan 3-0 in Brussels and 1-0 in Baku in qualifying for the 2008 UEFA European Championship.
• Their first meeting came on 11 October 2006, when a Timmy Simons penalty gave the hosts the lead before Azerbaijan's Yuri Muzika was shown a straight red card just before half-time. Kevin Vandenbergh and Moussa Dembélé completed the scoring, though the latter was dismissed in the closing minutes.
• The rematch on 21 November the following year was settled by Luigi Pieroni's strike.
• Azerbaijan coach Berti Vogts played in West Germany's 2-1 win against Belgium at the 1972 UEFA European Championship, and masterminded four wins against Belgium in his time as coach of the reunited Germany.
