Sabail 1:3 Gabala
Date: Sunday, September 2017
Kick-off: 9:00 pm. AZT
Venue: Dalgha Arena, Baku
Crowd: 200
Referee: Rauf Jabbarov
Assistant referees: Mubariz Hashimov, Knyaz Amiraslanov
Fourth official: Ziya Nasirov
AFFA delegate: Ramiz Mustafayev  
Referee observer: Fuzuli Najafov  
Bookings: Elton Yagublu, 32 (unsporting behavior) // Vitaliy Vernydub, 57 (unsporting behavior); Andy Halliday, 84 (rejecting referee order)
Goals: Vugar Nadirov, 56 // Bagaliy Dabo, 42, 90+3; Asif Mammadov, 60
Stoppage time: 1st Half: 0. / 2nd Half: 4 m.

Gabala, , coached by Roman Grigorchuk, took 1:3 victory on Sabail in the 5th tour away of the Azerbaijan Premier League. The match was registered also as the 162nd of Urfan Abbasov for Gabala breaking the record. The game started by mutual attacks and Gabala went too close to an early goal before Bagaliy Dabo failed on his effort. Going into the 16th minute, Dion Malone shot overhead with 22-meter drive.

The red-black team pushed harder in 15 minutes left to the break, and Malone’s goal was canceled by offside. Then Ruslan Gurbanov’s two efforts from promising positions were deflected by the Sabail keeper and defender. The sustained period of pressure worked into the opener by Gabala on 42 minutes with Dabo hitting the target from the defensive line of Sabail. The goal appears as his twelfth for the red-black team.

It was Gabala looking faster after the restart and their promising efforts led to a pulsating moment as Gismat Aliyev shot from 18-meter position but saw his effort denied by the opponent keeper.

Later on, the home side leveled after Vugar Nadirov’s goal. This prompted Gabala to step up their inroads into the other side. Asif Mammadov, introduced by Grigorchuk, gave a great follow-up header after cross pass from the left – 2:1.

Then Javid Huseynov was forced off by injury. Sabail threw everything against the vising side to level again but the matter was settled after Andy Halliday doubled Gabala’s lead in the stoppage time. His first effort after a great pass from Asif was deflected by the host keeper but gave a powerful shot to the returned ball to finish clinically.

Sabail Line-up:
1. Emil Balayev
3. Tamazi Tsetskhladze
8. Agsin Mukhtaroghlu
(4. Amit Guluzadeh, 61)
10. Nurlan Novruzov
(69. Renan Telles, 67)
11. Elman Tagayev
17. Vugar Nadirov
(9. Raul Yagubzadeh, 85)
20. Elton Yagublu (C)
23. Ayron Stati
35. Edgaras Zarskis
66. Parviz Garakhanov
99. Maudo Jarjue

BENCH:

25. Elkhan Ahmadov
22. Amirhossein Najafi
5. Seymur Asadov
13. Murad Musayev
14. Yamin Aghakarimzadeh
26. Kamal Gurbanov
77. Tayyar Mammadov
88. Orkhan Gurbanly
98. Kamran Aliyev

COACH: Samir Aliyev

Gabala Line-up:
22. Dmitri Bezotosnı
3. Voislav Stankovic
6. Elvin Mammadov
(11. Asif Mammadov, 59)
8. Gismat Aliyev
9. Bagaliy Dabo
10. Ruslan Gurbanov
(88. Tellur Mutallimov, 70)
12. Andy Halliday
14. Javid Huseynov (C)
(4. Elvin Camalov, 89)
15. Vitaliy Vernydub
16. Dion Omar Malone
34. Urfan Abbasov 

BENCH:

23. Agil Mammadov
35. Murad Popov
5. Rasim Ramaldanov
7. Alen Askerov
17. Roman Huseynov
98. Rovlan Muradov
29. Hajyagha Hajiyev
45. Famoussa Kone
70. Ulvi Isgandarov

COACH: Roman Grigorchuk