Pyunik celebrated a lone goal win against Vardar in the first leg of their Europa League encounter.
photo by FC Pyunik: Vardar concedes the decisive goal
The home team had the initiative in the beginning of the match creating two good scoring chances, but Filip Gachevski managed to save the shots first of captain Petros Avetisyan and later the one of Denis Voynov. The latter even hit the bar on its way out. Vardar could not create a good chance and had only one attempt when Cameroonian midfielder Clarence Bitang tried from distance.
In the 28th minute the dead lock was eventually broken. A home counter attack resulted in a goal after Voynov fired a shot from around 20 meters, but on its was to the goal Mohamed Konaté intercept it and changed the direction leaving Gachevski powerless.
Vardar was well kept away from the home goal for the rest of the game. The red and black players managed few shot, but all of them were or wide or not a threat for the home keeper. The team of manager Boban Babunski was not looking good while chasing the goal negative as there was no creativity in the play.
Vazgen Sargsyan Hanrapetakan stadium in Yerevan
Pyunik – Vardar
1:0 (1:0)
Goals: 28′ Mohamed Konaté
Pyunik: 31. Kobozev; 2. Grigoryan, 33. Kadio, 66. Zhestokov, 27. Dmitriev; 18. Arakelyan (65′ 10. Minasyan), 15. Trusevych, 30. Hayrapetyan, 23. Voynov (58′ 16. Hakobyan); 11. Konaté (75′ 9. Koryan), 7. Avetrisyan (C).
Vardar: 90. Gachevski; 4. Manev, 3. Popov (C), 21. Novak, 2. Toshevski; 33. Iseni (66′ 34. Adem), 8. Micevski, 5. Bitang; 11. Barseghyan (75′ 9. Maksimov), 7. Lira (46′ 50. Berisha), 70. Cvetanoski.
Yellow cards: Grigoryan, Avetrisyan, Hakobyan (P), Bitang, Barseghyan (V)
Red cards: /
Referee: Michal Ocenáš
Assistants: Tomáš Vorel & Michal Tomčík
Fourth referee: Peter Ziemba
The return leg is scheduled for next Thursday in Skopje with a kick-off at 19.00 CET.
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