Sunday, December 22, 2024

Gyokeres scores four as Sweden crush Azerbaijan

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Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres scored four goals, Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski got two and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak missed a penalty as Sweden crushed Azerbaijan.

Sweden had already won Nations League Group C1 with a game to spare and only needed 10 minutes before scoring through Kulusevski’s first of the night.

The Spurs man then set up Gyokeres, with him scoring again in the 37th minute.

Isak thought he had made it 4-0 at the end of the first half, only for a video assistant referee (VAR) decision to rule him offside.

The Newcastle striker then had a penalty saved by Azerbaijan goalkeeper Rza Cafarov, although Kulusevski then scored Sweden’s fourth goal nine minutes later.

Azerbaijan, already guaranteed to finish bottom of the group and be relegated, instantly lost possession from the restart and that allowed Gyokeres to complete his hat-trick before he grabbed his fourth in the 70th minute.

Gyokeres, who played in the English Championship with Swansea City and Coventry City before moving to Portugal, has scored 23 club goals for Sporting this season and nine goals for Sweden in 2024-25.

He netted a hat-trick in Sporting’s 4-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League this month in Ruben Amorim’s penultimate match in charge before joining Manchester United.

Gyokeres, 26, has been linked with a move following Amorim to Old Trafford in the summer and has an £83m release clause in his contract.

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