BAKU (Interstat) — Gabala defeated home side Araz 2-1 at Liv Bona Dea Arena on Friday, with Isaac Amoah scoring the deciding goal in the 48th minute after Ismahil Akinade had opened the scoring and Mohamed Mara had equalized for Araz. Akinade put Gabala ahead in the eighth minute. Mara pulled Araz level in the 36th minute. Amoah restored Gabala’s lead in the 48th minute. Amoah and Akinade each played 90 minutes and scored once for Gabala. Mara played 60 minutes, scored once and received a yellow card. Gabala finished with two goals and Araz finished with one.

The result moved Gabala to 1 win and 2 losses in the competition and to 1 win and 2 losses across all competitions. Araz fell to 0 wins and 3 losses in the competition and to 0 wins and 3 losses across all competitions. The competition record and the all-competitions record were identical for both clubs after the match. Gabala entered after a 4-0 loss to Sabah Baku and a 4-1 loss at Sumqayit in its previous two competition matches. Araz entered after a 2-1 loss at Sumqayit and a 2-0 loss to Kapaz in its previous two competition matches.

Edson Eduardo received a yellow card for Gabala in the 35th minute. Mara was booked for Araz in the 47th minute. Gabala received a yellow card in the 87th minute. Araz received two yellow cards in the second minute of stoppage time. Gabala received two yellow cards in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Araz received one yellow card in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The cards were part of a late sequence that included six yellow cards from the 87th minute through the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Araz made a substitution involving Mara in the 60th minute and a substitution involving Boli C. in the 69th minute. The goals came in the eighth, 36th and 48th minutes. Akinade’s eighth-minute goal was the first of the match. Mara’s 36th-minute goal was the equalizer. Amoah’s 48th-minute goal was the final goal of the game. No further goals were recorded after the 48th minute. Gabala was the visiting team and Araz was the home team. The game took place at Liv Bona Dea Arena.

Isaac Amoah of Gabala had a statline of 90 minutes and one goal. Ismahil Akinade of Gabala had a statline of 90 minutes and one goal. Mohamed Mara of Araz had a statline of 60 minutes, one goal and a yellow card. Amoah’s goal came in the 48th minute, Akinade’s goal came in the eighth minute and Mara’s goal came in the 36th minute. Gabala’s previous competition result was a 4-0 home loss to Sabah Baku, and before that Gabala lost 4-1 at Sumqayit. Araz’s previous competition result was a 2-1 loss at Sumqayit, and before that Araz lost 2-0 at home to Kapaz.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Araz 3, Gabala 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Araz with a 91.9 percent probability to win. Araz had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.