Gabala 1:1 Sumgayit
Azerbaijan Premier League
Date: January 28, 2017
Kick-off: 3:00 PM. AZT
Venue: Gabala City Stadium
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev
Assistant referees: Zeynal Zeylanov, Rza Mammadov
Fourth official: Ravan Hamzazadeh 
AFFA delegate: Arif Farajov
Referee observer: Shaig Hamidov
Bookings: Ruslan Gurbanov, 51’ (opposing against referee order); Tellur Mutallimov, 54’ (unsporting behavior); Urfan Abbasov, 88’ (unsporting behavior) // Azer Salahly, 13 (unsporting behavior); Farhad Gistarov, 31’ (unsporting behavior); Nijat Mukhtarov, 51 (unsporting behavior); Vurghun Huseynov, 81’ (unsporting behavior) 
Goals: Vitaliy Vernydub, 58’ // Mahammad Gurbanov, 53’
Stoppage time: First Half: 1 min.; Second Half: 4 min.

Gabala, coached by Roman Grigorchuk, played in a 1:1 draw against Sumgayit in a home match of the season’s Azerbaijan Premier League, which was also the first tie of 2017. 

Right after the starting whistle, Gabala launched quick inroads into the opponent defense and went too close to scoring with two occasions in the 5th minute when Filip Ozobic from the edge of the box and Sergei Zenjov in the box failed to score.

The home side’s sustained period of pressure gave Sumgayit another trouble in the 9th minute with Tellur Mutallimov kicked from the right that made the visiting keeper and defenders lost. But the red-black side were unable to convert the ball into the goal. Later, Ruslan Gurbanov’s two efforts also were off the target. Sumgayit looked trying to gain momentum in the closing minutes of the half, but the deadlock held on unbroken.

It was Gabala again restarting faster to the second half, but our team couldn’t cut the opponent defense. Sumgayit’s Sergei Chenishov set up Mahammad Gurbanov opened the scoring – 0:1.

The goal prompted Gabala to step up their attacks and Nika Kvekveskiri’s corner kick found Ozobic converted to Vitaliy Vernydub finished clinically – 1:1. The goal was registered for him as his third one for Gabala.

Later on, Nika and Ozobic set up more pulsating moments against Sumgayit. Grigorchuk introduced Araz Abdullayev as the 212th player for Gabala with his debut.

Gabala Line-up:

22. Dmytro Bezotosniy
6. Rashad Sadigov (c)
(14. Javid Huseynov, 82’)
7. Nika Kvekveskiri
(27. Teo Uiks, 62’)
9. Sergei Zenjov
10. Ruslan Gurbanov
(77. Araz Abdullayev, 78’)
11. Asif Mammadov
15. Vitaliy Vernydub
19. Filip Ozobich
20. Ricardinho
34. Urfan Abbasov
88. Tellur Mutallimov

BENCH:
33. David Pietrzkevich
17. Mahammad Mirzabayov
18. Bagali Dabo
21. Roman Huseynov

COACH: Roman Grigorchuk

Sumgayit Line-up:
1. Farhad Valiyev
2. Rail Malikov
3. Vurghun Huseynov (c)
8. Nijat Mukhtarov
10. Mahammad Gurbanov
14. Bakhtiyar Hasanalizadeh 
19. Azar Salahly
22. Mirabdulla Abbasov
(9. Amil Yunanov, 75’)
42. Kamran Abdullazadeh
97. Khayal Najafov
(21. Nasır Abilayev, 79’)
20. Farhad Gistarov
(7. Sergei Chernishev, 46’)

BENCH:
94. Tarlan Ahmadli
5. Seymur Asadov
18. Suleyman Ahmadov
76. Bayram Nuruzadeh

COACH: Samir Abasov