Belgium ended their Euro 2008 qualification campaign with a hard-fought victory over a resilient Azerbaijan side.

The visitors enjoyed the best of the play at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium and striker Luigi Pieroni scored the only game of the game in the 53rd minute to give his side the three points.

Rene Vandereycken's side finish in fifth place in Group A while Azerbaijan remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Belgium began the match positively and midfielder Gill Swerts had a good chance to open the scoring in the 17th minute.

Swerts directed a rasping shot from 20-yards out but Azerbaijan goalkeeper Farhad Veliyev was equal to it and made a smart save.

Five minutes later Veliyev was brought into action again by Belgium defender Daniel Van Buyten.

Swerts curled in a dangerous free-kick from the left which was met by the head of Van Buyten inside the penalty area but Veliyev claimed a catch.

Azerbaijan's were largely restricted to shots from distance with striker Zaur Ramazanov going close with a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 37th minute which flew past the post.

Belgium eventually broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when Pieroni netted with an opportunist strike.

Azerbaijan defender Rail Melikov blocked a goal-bound header from six-yards out but Pieroni seized on the rebound and placed the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net.

The 27-year-old striker missed a chance to double his side's advantage in the 65th minute.

Pieroni found some space inside the penalty area but screwed his close-range range shot wide of the post.

Belgium controlled possession as the game wore on and the home side again resorted to long-range attempts.

Defender Ramin Guliyev lashed a left-footed shot from 30 yards in the 71st minute but the ball flew wide of Belgium goalkeeper Brian Vandenbussche's post.

Leandro Gomes wasted a good chance to equalise in the 85th minute.

The substitute striker found space on the edge of the 18-yard box but was unable to test Vandenbussche and hit his shot wide.

Azerbaijan caretaker coach Gjoko Hadzievski almost saw his side equalise in injury time but striker Branimir Subashic lifted his shot over the bar from 12 yards.

Teams:

Azerbaijan Veliyev, Melikov, Samir Abbasov, Sadygov, Ramin Guliyev, Gurbanov, Karimov (Mamedov 87), Maharramov (Ponomarev 77), Tagizade (Gomes 71), Ramazanov, Subashic.

Subs Not Used: Mehdiev, Ladaga, Aliyev, Bahshiev.

Booked: Tagizade.

Belgium Vandenbussche, Van Damme, Van Buyten, Gillet, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Gregoire (Goor 69), Swerts, Geraerts (Defour 46), Dembele, Pieroni (Mirallas 82).

Subs Not Used: Stijnen, Haroun, De Man, Overmeire.

Booked: Geraerts, Pieroni, Dembele, Fellaini.

Goals: Pieroni 53.

Att: 17,000

Ref: Asaf Kenan (Israel).