IMISLI, Azerbaijan (Interstat) — İmişli FK hosts Zirə FK on Friday, May 8, in a Premyer Liqa matchup that carries significant implications for the Azerbaijan top flight’s standings. Kickoff is set for a time to be announced.

Zirə enters the contest with momentum, having won three of its last four league matches. Most recently, Zirə defeated Qəbələ 1-0 on May 3, a result that followed a 1-1 draw at Turan on April 27 and a 1-1 home draw with Neftçi PFK on April 17. Prior to that, Zirə played to a 2-2 draw at Sabah FK on April 11, and earned a 1-0 win at Karvan on March 19. The team’s form has been uneven overall this season, with losses to Kəpəz PFK (2-1 on March 9) and Sabah FK (3-1 on Jan. 31) balanced by victories over Araz-Naxçıvan PFK (1-0 on Feb. 27), Karvan (1-0 on Feb. 14) and Genclerbirliyi Sumqayıt (3-2 on Feb. 8). A 2-1 loss at Şamaxı FK on Dec. 13 closed out the previous calendar year.

İmişli, meanwhile, is coming off a 1-0 win at Araz-Naxçıvan PFK on May 2, snapping a two-match losing streak. Before that, İmişli fell 2-0 at Genclerbirliyi Sumqayıt on April 25 and lost at home to Kəpəz PFK 1-0 on April 19. The club’s season has been marked by defensive struggles and occasional upsets. İmişli recorded a 1-0 win at Qəbələ on April 12 and a 1-1 draw with Turan on April 7. However, heavy defeats include a 6-0 loss at Neftçi PFK on March 20 and a 5-0 home loss to Sabah FK on March 14. İmişli also played scoreless draws with Şamaxı FK on March 8 and Feb. 22, and with Kəpəz PFK on Feb. 9. A 1-0 loss to Qarabağ Ağdam FK on Feb. 14 highlighted the team’s difficulty against top opponents.

The two sides met most recently on Dec. 3, 2025, when Zirə won 2-1 at home. That result extended Zirə’s head-to-head edge in recent meetings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 1-0 victory for Zirə on Friday, reflecting the visitors’ stronger recent form and İmişli’s inconsistency. Zirə’s disciplined defense — which has kept clean sheets in four of its last seven matches — will be tested by an İmişli attack that has struggled to score, managing just one goal in its last three league outings.

Both teams are seeking to solidify their positions in the Premyer Liqa table as the season enters its final stretch. İmişli will rely on home support at their stadium in Imishli to break a pattern of close losses, while Zirə aims to maintain its push toward the upper half of the standings.