LERIK, Azerbaijan (Interstat) — Kapaz defended its home ground at Şəhər stadionu on Sunday and defeated Imisli FK 1-0, breaking a scoreless match in the 77th minute and extending its unbeaten start in the competition. Alasgarov N. scored the only goal, turning a tight contest in Kapaz’s favor after a first half that produced few clear rewards and a series of disciplinary interruptions. Imisli FK did not score. The match remained compact and cautious for long stretches, with both sides trading possession in midfield before Kapaz found the decisive moment in the second half. Kapaz’s breakthrough arrived in the 77th minute and changed the final stages of a match that had been locked in a scoreless tie. The home side then had to navigate the closing minutes with a one-goal lead as Imisli FK searched for a response. The visitors could not produce an equalizer, and Kapaz took the result.

Among the game’s key performances, Kapaz’s Namig Aleskerov had a statline of 44 minutes, one goal and a yellow card. Yellow cards shaped the match’s rhythm. Kapaz’s Abbasov U. was booked in the 14th minute, and Imisli FK’s Hasanalizada B. followed in the 63rd. Alasgarov N. was booked in the 78th, one minute after his goal, while Imisli FK’s Ronaldo received a yellow card in the 88th. Imisli FK was booked again in the third minute of stoppage time. The cautions interrupted the flow of a contest that had already been short on scoring chances, and Imisli FK received three yellow cards to Kapaz’s two as the visitors pushed for an equalizer. Kapaz managed the closing stages without allowing Imisli FK to find a response.

Substitutions changed the shape of the second half. Imisli FK made a change at halftime with Cardoso D., and Kapaz responded at the same interval with Haciyev R. Kapaz then brought on Acquah D. in the 64th minute, while Imisli FK introduced Nabiyev F. in the 79th. Kapaz made its final listed change in the 84th minute, bringing on Benito. The adjustments did not produce a second goal, and Kapaz held its narrow advantage through the final minutes. Imisli FK pressed for a late equalizer but could not break through, leaving the visitors with a second loss in the competition. The final whistle confirmed a home win built on the one-goal margin and a disciplined closing spell. Kapaz’s defense held firm after the substitutions, and Imisli FK could not turn its late pressure into a scoring chance.

The result moved Kapaz to three wins, no losses and one draw in the competition, and four wins, no losses and one draw across all competitions. Imisli FK dropped to two wins and two losses in the competition, and three wins and two losses across all competitions. Imisli FK entered the match after wins over Qaradag Lokbatan, Shamakhi and Turan Tovuz, along with a loss to Qarabag. Kapaz arrived following wins over Baku Sporting, Safa and Araz and a draw with Zira. The win kept Kapaz’s unbeaten run intact in both competition and overall play, while Imisli FK remained unable to add to its recent winning sequence. Kapaz’s goal proved enough in a match that stayed close from the opening minutes to the final stoppage-time cards. The result left both sides with contrasting records as the season continued.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kapaz 1, Imisli FK 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Kapaz with an 80.1 percent probability to win. Kapaz had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 2.5.