ATYRAU (Interstat) — Ertis FK weathered a determined Atyrau FK side and left Stadion Munayşı with a 3-2 victory on Sunday, using an early opener and a decisive second-half burst to secure its first win in the competition this season. The visitors arrived after a difficult run and found a response each time the home side threatened to take control.

Ertis struck first in the 14th minute when Mamadou Mbodj Pape scored, rewarding the visitors for a purposeful start. Atyrau responded before the break, with Djordje Pantelic leveling in the 45th minute and sending the teams into halftime tied. The equalizer changed the shape of the contest, forcing Ertis to regroup after carrying the lead for most of the first half. Atyrau pressed for a go-ahead goal before the interval, but Ertis defended its box and cleared several deliveries to reach the break on level terms.

Ertis reclaimed control after the interval. Timur Mukhametzhanov put the visitors back in front in the 61st minute, and Yudenkov added another Ertis goal in the 72nd minute to give the visitors a cushion. Atyrau scored twice in the match, with Pantelic’s first-half goal among them, but could not fully close the gap as Ertis held on through a tense closing stretch. Atyrau’s second goal kept the home side within reach and raised the pressure on Ertis in the final quarter-hour. Ertis managed the closing phase by keeping possession near the touchline and clearing crosses into the area. Ertis’s defense then absorbed a late push from the home side. The final minutes included bookings for Pantelic in the 87th, Satanov in the 88th and Rikhard in the fourth minute of stoppage time, underscoring the late pressure.

Mbodj played all 90 minutes and scored for Ertis. Mukhametzhanov finished with a goal and a yellow card while playing the full 90 minutes. Pantelic also played 90 minutes for Atyrau, scoring and receiving a yellow card. Sagi Malikaidar and Djordje Maksimovic each recorded an assist, and Ramazan Karimov added an assist in 53 minutes of action. Ertis also made substitutions involving Karimov and Khalmatov in the 53rd and 54th minutes, while Atyrau turned to Henrique in the 76th. Leonardo Kalil entered for Ertis in the 84th, and Atyrau used Dorofeev and Stanic in the 87th. Shimamura entered for Ertis in the third minute of stoppage time. The substitutions gave both teams fresh legs during a second half that featured end-to-end stretches and frequent stoppages.

The result moved Ertis to 1 win and 3 losses in the competition and 1 win and 3 losses across all competitions. Atyrau is 1 win, 2 losses and 1 draw in the competition and 1 win, 2 losses and 1 draw across all competitions. Ertis entered after losses to FK Kairat Almaty Under 19, Astana FK and Kyzylzhar. Atyrau entered after a draw at Altai Semei FK, a home loss to FK Yelimay Semey and a win at Zhenis. Ertis’s away performance ended a three-match losing run and gave the club its first points in the competition this season. Atyrau remained within a goal for much of the second half but could not produce an equalizer after Ertis moved ahead by two goals. The home side’s late bookings reflected its urgency as the clock wound down. The final whistle confirmed a narrow road win for Ertis after a closely contested second half.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atyrau FK 2, Ertis FK 0. Its ELO system had projected Atyrau with a 77.2 percent probability to win. Atyrau had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 2.5.