Date: Sunday, April 8, 2018
Kick-off: 4:30 pm. AZT
Venue: Zira Sport Complex, Baku
Crowd: 1,000
Referee: Ravan Hamzazadeh
Assistant referees: Nahid Aliyev, Vagif Musayev
Fourth official: Omar Pashayev
AFFA delegate: Sakin Mammadzadeh   
Referee observer: Asim Khudiyev  
Bookings: Jomal Williams, 56 (unsporting behavior) // Tamkin Khalilzadeh, 90+3 (unsporting behavior) 
Goals:  Milan Duric, 53 (p.) // Steeven Monroze, 78 
Stoppage time: First Half: 2 min.; Second Half: 4 min.

Gabala, coached by Roman Grigorchuk, have ended the 22nd tour match of the Azerbaijan Premier League in 1:1 against Zira. The away match got underway by quick attacks from the home side. Although Zira took the lead in the half, the sides went to the balanced show going more into the game. Keeper Dmytro Bezotosniy left the match after injury and was replaced by Agil Mammadov, appearing in a debut league game. The half ended more pulsating after the hosts missed the scoring chance in the 36th minute when there was a mass in the Gabala box. Two minutes later, Bagaliy Dabo’s 25-meter drive was denied by the Zira keeper.

Zira looked faster again after the restart led to penalty chance before Agil Mammadov failed to deflect Milan Duric from the point although he got the trajectory. The home side launched more attacks after the opener but Mammadov held on. He denied Duric before coming one-on-one with Richard Gadze and finishing clear.

The course of the game forced Grigorchuk to make changes. The Ukrainian boss introduced Filip Ozobic and Tamkin Khalilzadeh. At times Ozobic went too close to scoring but the Croatian was off the target. And two minutes later, a cross from the left Steeven Monroze in the box with a follow-up header passed the opponent keeper. This was the second goal of the legionnaire in the last two matches with his ninth ever for Gabala, including seventh in the league. After leveling, both sides were unable to go one ahead. And the final whistle left Gabala with the third 1:1 draw on the trot after two tour games against Sumgayit and Keshla.

Zira Line-up:
1. Anar Nazirov (C)
4. Vugar Mustafayev
5. Adil Naghıyev
7. Sadio Tounkara
(17. Vusal Isgandarli, 77)
8. Milan Duric
9. Aleksandr Dedov
(11. Victor Igbekoyi, 75)
16. Ibrahim Aslanlı
18. Yani Urdinov
39. Sadig Guliyev
43. Richard Gadze
88. Elshan Abdullayev
(29. Jomal Williams, 46)

BENCH:

85. Kamal Bayramov
10. Orkhan Aliyev
14. Tellur Mutallimov
38. Ilkin Muradov
57. Kanan Zulfugarov
87. Musfig Ilyasov
77. Mirsahib Abbasov

COACH: Aykhan Abbasov

Gabala Line-up:
22. Dmytro Bezotosniy
(23. Agil Mammadov, 25)
3. Voislav Stankovic
8. Gismat Aliyev
9. Bagaliy Dabo
10. Ruslan Gurbanov
(33. Tamkin Khalilzadeh, 65)
11. Asif Mammadov
14. Javid Huseynov (C)
16. Omar Malone
(19. Filip Ozobic, 65)
28. Steeven Monroze
34. Urfan Abbasov
45. Famussa Kone

BENCH:

35. Murad Popov
5. Rasim Ramaldanov
6. Elvin Mammadov
18. Ilgar Gurbanov
29. Hajiagha Hajiyev
74. Yusif Nabiyev 

COACH: Roman Grigorchuk