UEFA European League
3rd Qualifying Round
1st Match
30 July
22:00. Apollon (Limassol, Cyprus) – Gabala (Azerbaijan)
Referee: Sergey Boyko (Ukraine)
Assistant referees: Aleksandr Korniyko, Vladimir Volodin (both from Ukraine)
4th official: Anatoli Abdula (Ukraine)
UEFA referee inspector: Eugen Strigel (German)
UEFA member: Ronen Herşko (Israel).
Ground: Antonis Papadopulos Stadium, Larnaka
Yellow cards: Elizio, 54, Urfan Abbasov, 62, Nuno Lopes, 69, Ricardinho,75, Vojislav Stankovic, 88, Freire, 90+2
Goals: Georgias Kolokudias, 14, Javid Huseynov, 90+4-pen.
Stoppage time: I part 1 min.; II part 4 min.

Gabala ended the away match against Apollon 1:1 within the 3rd Qualifying Round of the UEFA European League.

The home side started faster from the kick-off whistle before Gabala”s first threat in the 10th minute slowed down the Cyprus side. Aleksey Antonov”s inch-perfect free-kick from a promising position was denied by the opponent keeper who gave another save to his teammates deflecting Samir Zargarov.

The scoring got underway on 14 minutes when Papulis Fotis met the ball from our keeper Dmitri Bezotosny to set Georgias Kolokudias with a header in – 1:0. The goal inspired a comeback of Gabala with Javid Huseynov, Sergei Zenjov, Aleksey Gai and Rashad Sadigov close to the box. But they failed to score on some occasions.

It was Gabala looking faster after the restart. Sadigov and Ricardinho could not find the net with their promising shots. Then Joao Pedro went too close to scoring by a free-kick before Freire headed wide.

New transfer Ermin Zec came on as a substitute before Gabala stepped up their inroads into the home defence, and then he went to be one on one with the host keeper but he failed to score.

Gabala”s equalizer came out in the stoppage time after the Cyprus side fouled on Vojislav Stankovic and Javid Huseynov”s penalty hit the target to finish in 1:1. Although the referee let the game go out with the final whistle, the teams came back on the pitch again after a short break to finalize the night in less than 3 minutes.

Now it was the first away draw of Gabala a week before the return match, 6 August, in Azerbaijan.

Apollon line-up:
83. Bruno Vale
2. Elizio
4. Freire
3. Nuno Lopes
14. Jeime
5. Esteban Saketti
6. Markos Gullon
10. Aleks
(9. Turam, 76)
26. Papulis Fotis
17. Joao Pedro
(28. Marius Stilianu, 89)
29. Georgios Kolokoudias
(19. Guye Avraam, 63)

Subs.:
23. Isli Hidi
27. Anjelis Anjeli
8. Farli
42. Christos Wheeler

Head coach: Pedro Emanuel

Gabala line-up:
22. Dmitri Bezotosny
34. Urfan Abbasov
(21. Arif Dashdamirov, 85)
3. Vojislav Stankovic
44. Rafael Santos
20. Ricardinho
6. Rashad Sadigov
66. Samir Zargarov
(10. Dodo, 36)
9. Sergei Zenjov
19. Aleksey Gai
14. Javid Huseynov
69. Aleksey Antonov
(7. Ermin Zec, 76)

Subs.:
1. Andrey Popovic
8. Mahammad Mirzabayov
15. Vitali Vernidub
11. Asif Mammadov
Head coach: Roman Grigorchuk