Ukraine secured a commanding 2–1 victory over Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying, dominating possession and creating chances at will in a one-sided encounter. The hosts' 4–1–4–1 formation proved effective against Azerbaijan's defensive 5–4–1 setup, with Ukraine registering 22 shots to their visitors' eight and generating an expected goals figure of 2.34 compared to Azerbaijan's meagre 0.4. Despite the gulf in quality, Azerbaijan's goalkeeper kept the deficit manageable with a 50 per cent save rate, though he was ultimately undone by Ukraine's clinical finishing. Ruslan Malinovskyi opened the scoring for the hosts, who controlled proceedings throughout. Azerbaijan's solitary goal offered little more than consolation, with their attacking threat severely limited by Ukraine's midfield control. The three points extend Ukraine's qualifying campaign momentum ahead of upcoming fixtures.