Date: Saturday, August 26, 2017
Kick-off: 8:30 pm. AZT
Venue: Azersun Arena, Baku
Crowd: 4,200
Referee: Fariz Yusifov
Assistant referees: Yashar Abbasov, Vagif Musayev
Fourth official: Rauf Jabbarov
AFFA delegate: Shaig Hamidov   
Referee observer: Ali Huseynov
Bookings: Rashad Sadigov, 47’ (unsporting behavior); Rahid Amirguliyev, 52’ (unsporting behavior); Dino Ndlovu, 88 (unsporting behavior) // Omar Malone, 51 (unsporting behavior); Gismat Aliyev, 83 (unsporting behavior)
Goals: Mahir Madatov, 63; Marcos Madera, 73 // Steeven Monroz, 69
Stoppage time: Firs Half: 1 m.; Second Half: 3 m.

Gabala lost to Qarabagh with 2:1 in the 3rd tour of the Azerbaijan Premier League. The away match was held between the gold winner and runners-up of the last season.

The game started by quick attacks from the home side. But Gabala, coached by Roman Grigorchuk, looked not willing to go back. Qarabagh took the lead and pushed hard to break Gabala’s defensive line. The red-black side held on clear.

Filip Ozobic set up threat in the 41st minute but saw his effort passed wide of the goal.

Grigorchuk introduced Asif Mammadov to the second period. Later on, Ozobic’s free kick from a promising point was off the target.

Malone came one-on-one with the opponent keeper on 50 minutes before Steeven Joseph-Monrose cut through the Qarabagh defense and shot to the net but Rashad Sadygov gave a great save to his teammates deflecting the ball from the open gate.

The lead was in the Gabala side in early minutes of the second half, but then Qarabagh balanced the course of the match and opened the scoring with Mahir Madatov’s header after pass from Ansi Agolli. But Qarabagh’s joy lived only six minutes as Malonen’s teleghraph from the center found Monroz coming one-on-one with the keeper and leveling to 1:1.

But the team from Aghdam broke the level again when Madatov set up Markos Madera in the box and the latter scored in the winner goal.

Grigorchuk made two more changes to turn the streak of the game but the scoring held on unchanged even after Bagaly Dabo went too close to leveling again.

The final whistle left Gabala with the first loss of the season.
 

Qarabagh Lin-up:

1. Anton Konibalotski
5. Maksim Medvedev
(52. Yakub Jeznicak, 74)
7. Rahid Amirguliyev
8. Marcos Madera
11. Mahir Madatov
14. Rashad Sadygov (C)
22. Afran Ismayilov
(9. Dino Ndlovu, 46)
25. Ansi Agolli
55. Badavi Huseynov
(20. Richard Almeida, 46) 
88. Elshan Abdullayev
91. Joshgun Diniyev 

BENCH:

13. Ibrahim Sehic
89. Nijat Mehbaliyev
2. Gara Garayev
23. Elgun Ulukhanov
32. Elvin Yunuszadeh
16. Ibrahim Aslanly
19. Famil Jamalov
17. Elchin Rahimli
33. Eltun Turabov

COACH: Gurban Gurbanov

Gabala Line-up:

22. Dmytro Bezotosniy
3. Voislav Stankovic
4. Elvin Jamalov
10. Ruslan Gurbanov
(11. Asif Mammadov, 46’)
15. Vitaliy Vernydub
(9. Bagali Dabo, 79)
16. Dion Omar Malone
17. Roman Huseynov
(8. Gismat Aliyev, 79)
19. Filip Ozobic
28. Steeven Joseph-Monrose
34. Urfan Abbasov (C)
88. Tellur Mutallimov

BENCH:

23. Agil Mammadov
35. Murad Popov
5. Rasim Ramaldanov
12. Andy Hallidey
21. Dave Bulthuis
33. Tural Mammarzayev
44. Ulvi Ibazadeh
70. Ulvi Isgandarov
89. Abbas Aghazadeh

COACH: Roman Grigorchuk