Gabala 2:1 Kapaz
Date: Saturday, December 17, 2016
Kick-off 2:00 P.M. AZT
Venue: Gabala City Stadium
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev
Assistant referees: Rza Mammadov, Rahil Ramazanov
Fourth official: Ziya Nasirov
AFFA delegate: Eldar Gasimov
Referee observer: Murad Mammadov
Bookings: Rafael Santos, 51’ (unsporting behavior); Voislav Stankovic, 75’ (systematically fouling) // Renan da Silva, 22’ (unsporting behavior), 82’ (unsporting behavior)
Red cards: Renan da Silva, 82’
Goals: Filip Ozobic, 23’ (p.); Ruslan Gurbanov, 83’ (p.) // Tural Akhundov, 77’ (p.)
Stoppage time: First Period – 0 min.; Second Period – 4 min.

Gabala won 2:1 over Kapaz in the last match of the half season’s Azerbaijan Premier League half. Roman Grigorchuk’s red-black team started faster and gave early trouble to Kapaz Nika Kvekveskiri’s pass found Vitaliy Vernydub in the box but the latter saw his shot tipped wide. Then Ruslan Gurbanov set up Sergei Zenjov kicked off the target. Gabala kept the sustained period of pressure on the visiting side in the other box. But the opponents looked backing on counter attacks. And Gabala’s long-range efforts also gave some many troubles to the guests.

After meeting a superb cross by Gurbanov, Rashad Sadigov went too close to opening the scoring in the box but his effort flew over the woodwork. Later on, foul on Ruslan earned the red-black side penalty kicked clinically by Filip Ozobic – 1:0. This was the Croatian’s tenth goal for Gabala in his thirtieth appearance, as well as seventh league goal sharing the first place of the top red-balck scorers with Bagaliy Dabo.

The goal prompted Kapaz to push harder to leveling but Gabala held on. After the half-time, Gabala took the lead in the proceedings. But the team from Ganja scored with to level in the 77th minute when the referee pointed to penalty against Gabala and Tural Akhundov made Kapaz’s fans happy – 1:1.

As the game was balanced, Gabala pushed harder to go one ahead again in the minutes left. And only in the seven minutes from the final whistle, opponent Renan Silva’s costly mistake in the box led to the third penalty on the show. Ruslan fired a great shot past the keeper. This was registered as the seventh goal of Gurbanov for Gabala, including four in the league. 

The result left Gabala with the sixth successive home victory after the last tie of the year in the domestic top-flight.

Gabala ine-up:
22. Dmytro Bezotosniy
3. Voislav Stankovic
4. Elvin Jamalov
(21. Roman Huseynov, 20’)
6. Rasad Sadigov (C)
7. Nika Kvekveskiri
9. Sergei Zenjov
10. Ruslan Gurbanov
11. Asif Mammadov
15. Vitaliy Vernydub
(44. Rafael Santos, 46’)
17. Mahammad Mirzabayov
19. Filip Ozobic
(27. Theo Weeks, 56’)

BENCH: 
33. David Pietrzkevic
14. Javid Huseynov
32. Rasad Eyubov
90 Ramil Hasanov 

COACH: Roman Grigorcuk

Kapaz line-up:
88. Tadas Simaitis
18. Tural Akhundov (C)
36. Renan Silva
15. Azad Karimov
13. Shahriyar Rahimov 
5. Karim Diniyev
(6. Jeyhun Javadov, 46’)
7. Vugar Baybalayev
(23. Tural Narimanov, 85’)
17. Nijat Gurbanov
(10. Dario Federico, 60’)
19. Orkhan Aliyev
77. Serginho Costa
90. Julien Ebah 

BENCH:

1. Eyyub Aliyev
21. Novruz Mammadov
9. Tural Gurbatov
75.  Yusif Jafarov 

COACH: Shahin Diniyev