Karabakh secured a hard-fought 3:2 victory over Aras in the Azerbaijan Premier League's fourth round of fixtures on September 6th. The hosts had been unbeaten in three games already, while Aras carried just one point from four matches. The result keeps Karabakh third on nine points and leaves Aras eleventh with a solitary point.
J. Montiel gave Karabakh an early lead in the eighth minute, and the hosts looked comfortable through the first half. Aras were reduced to ten men after two yellow cards on the hour mark — C. Makreckis and M. Ahmadzada both received bookings in the same minute. Karabakh made four substitutions around the 65th minute, bringing on A. Sudi, T. Ismaheel and J. Montiel alongside M. Ahmadzada, though the double change made for some confusion in the second half.
Aras pulled one back through M. Qurbanly in the 89th minute, then A. Salyanskiy equalised three minutes into stoppage time. By then the game had turned into something quite different from what Karabakh had controlled for most of the ninety minutes. The visitors saw the game out despite the late pressure, and the final score reflected a match where momentum swung twice.
Karabakh dominated possession at 65 per cent and registered 148 attacks compared to Aras's 81. They recorded nine shots on target against four for the visitors, but Aras showed enough efficiency in the closing stages to make the result tighter than the statistics suggested. The hosts also earned seven corners to Aras's four, and their 148 attacks versus 81 paints a clear picture of who controlled territory.
The result means Karabakh remain in contention at the top end of the table, while Aras's struggles continue. They had drawn once and lost three before this match, and the late equaliser offers little consolation for a campaign that has been difficult so far. Karabakh's three wins from three games keep them within touching distance of the leaders, and this kind of result — where they had to respond — could prove valuable come the end of the season.
