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Wales national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Sep 6, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Azerbaijan national football team

2-1

Pasayev (26' og.), Bale (84')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Madatov (59')

Tom Lawrence heaps praise on Chelsea boss Frank Lampard

The pair spent last season together when Derby reached the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.

Tom Lawrence has revealed how Frank Lampard helped him through the pain of losing his mother and says the Chelsea manager is "always there" for him.

Lawrence's mother Deb died when the Wales forward played for Lampard at Derby last season.

"If I ever need anything, he's always there," Lawrence said of Lampard, who joined Chelsea after guiding Derby to the Sky Bet Championship play-off final in his one season at the club.

"He was great with me with things that have happened in my personal life at the back end of last year.

"He's also helped me a lot and I'll always have great things to say about the gaffer (Lampard)."

Lawrence hopes to win his 20th cap against Azerbaijan on Friday as Wales seek to revive their Euro 2020 qualification hopes.

Wales trail leaders Hungary by six points, albeit with a game in hand, and are three adrift of Croatia and Slovakia in the race for a top-two spot.

But boss Ryan Giggs has been boosted by the fact that Lawrence, Gareth Bale, Daniel James and Harry Wilson have all been among the goals at club level this season.

Bale ended a scoring drought stretching back to March 16 with a brace in Real Madrid's 2-2 LaLiga draw at Villarreal on Sunday, although Wales' talisman did blot his copybook by being sent off in stoppage time.

"There's a few of us pushing for a start on Friday and we'll all be looking forward to getting on the pitch," Lawrence said.

"When he (Bale) is playing he's one of the world's best. Every time he can get on the pitch for Wales is a bonus.

"It always helps when you're playing games. When you're not match-fit it's never easy to come and play games.

"We can't leave it all down to Gareth himself, other players have got to chip in and help the team."

Lawrence has extra motivation to reach next year's competition as he missed out at Euro 2016 when Wales qualified for their first tournament since 1958 and reached the semi-finals in France.

The 25-year-old tore ankle ligaments having been part of the pre-tournament training squad in Portugal.

"It was a tough time," Lawrence said. "You're looking forward to going to the Euros and for that to be halted by an injury is never nice.

"I'd love to play in a major tournament. It was my biggest learning curve in missing the Euros and dealing with that.

"Since then I've come on a long way. It would be nice to get in there again."

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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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