Date: Sunday, 21st April 2013 / Kick-off: 18:00 / Venue: Bakcell Arena / Crowd: 1000

Referee:  Aliyar Aghayev

Referee assistants: Mehman Mahmudov, Munis Abdullayev 

4th official:  Elvin Asgarov

AFFA representative: Elbrus Abbasov

Referee inspector: Ahmadagha Jabbarov

Yellow cards: Mahir Shukurov, 35 ; Flavio Alex Valencio, 63; 66 // Aleksandr Chertoganov, 37 ; 65 ; Rashad Abdullayev, 44 ; Elmar Bakhshiyev, 66

Red cards: Flavio Alex Valencio, 66 // Aleksandr Chertoganov, 65

Goals:  Denis Silva Cruz, 53; Nicolas Canales, 69 // Rodrigues Assis, 15

Extra time: I part - none; II part - 4 min.

Gabala visited Neftchi in Baku within the 27th tour of the Topaz Premier League. Our squad were not in their best with absence of Victor Mendy, Amit Guluzadeh, Jeyhun Sultanov and Vurghun Huseynov.

The pace of the match started with quick attacks by the home side, but the course of the game gradually swung into the favour of Gabala. It led the visitors to the opening in the 15th minute, when Valentic exchanged passes with Chertoganov before the latter”s excellent ball found Assis heading home. Gabala left the half on top.

Neftchi started faster after the break and kept going to level on 53 minutes with Denis Silva. Both sides went down to ten, respectively, on 65 and 65 minutes when Gabala”s Chertoganov and the opponent Flavio were sent off.

Later on, Canales put Neftchi one ahead in the 69th minute of the pulsating match-up seizing on the mistake in our defensive lie- 2:1. It was the last goal of the night although many further occasions for both sides.

Neftchi lineup:

30. Sasha Stamenkovic

3. Denis Silva Cruz 

4. Tarlan Guliyev 

(28. Emin Mehdiyev, min.83)

5. Igor Mitreski

6. Rashad Sadigov (c)

9. Flavio Alex Valencio

10. Julius Wobay

(16. Bruno Bertucci, min.78)

11. Nicolas Canales

(14. Bahodir Nasimov, min.89)

15. Eric Fabian Ramos

17. Araz Abdullayev

22. Mahir Shukurov

Subs.:

12. Emil Balayev

19. Mirhuseyn Seyidov

25. Javid Imamverdiyev

32. Elvin Yunuszadeh

Coach: Tarlan Ahmadov

Gabala lineup:

25. Diego Costa Silva

6. Nicola Valentic

8. Christian Pulhak 

(5. Luka Zinko, min.75)

11. Yannick Kamanan

(10. Luis Paulo Hilario, min.69)

15. Oumar Kalabane

18. Aleksandr Chertoganov

21. Elmar Bakhshiyev

22. Rodrigues Assis  

27. Rashad Abdullayev (c)

35. Tarzin Jahangirov

(28. Mushfig Teymurov, min.87)

84. Dejan Kelhar

Subs.:

30. Anar Nazirov 

16. Ifeanyi Emeghara

38. Rey Mammadbayli

39. Sadig Guliyev

Coach: Luis Antonio Aragon

Luis Aragon: “It was really a difficult match and my team struggled until the end. We were one ahead in the half. But in the second period, we couldn’t keep this up in mutual attacks. My team failed to take benefits of some chances. I think we could have made it at least a draw”.

Tarlan Ahmadov: “We knew the game would be difficult as my team felt tired coming on this event just after the cup match. It was evident in the half but we came out to make some cracking performance in the second period. Our some injured players are getting recovered now and we will be fully focused on the closing cup match against Garabagh”.