Dinamo Minsk erase a two-goal deficit to beat Neftchi 4-2

Dinamo Minsk fell two goals behind, then beat Neftchi 4-2 in Baku. The visitors scored four unanswered goals after a difficult opening.

Karen Vardanyan scored twice for Dinamo. Evgeni Malashevich and Gulzhigit Alykulov scored the other goals in the Conference League qualifier.

Neftchi score twice during the opening eight minutes

Neftchi attacked from the opening whistle at Neftchi Arena. Emin Mahmudov reached the first clear chance after only two minutes.

The captain finished the move and placed the home side ahead. Dinamo had barely settled into its defensive positions.

A second goal followed after eight minutes. Aleksandr Selyava diverted the ball into his own net under home pressure.

The own goal gave Neftchi a 2-0 lead. Neftchi held that two-goal advantage after only eight minutes.

Neftchi continued playing forward after the quick start. The home midfield moved the ball toward Mahmudov and Andre Shinyashiki.

Dinamo slowed Neftchi’s attacks and closed the gaps between its lines. That change gave the visitors longer periods with possession.

The next goal became important for both teams. Neftchi wanted control, while Dinamo searched for a route back.

Vardanyan starts the Dinamo comeback

Dinamo found its first goal after thirty-six minutes. Karen Vardanyan completed an attack and reduced the score to 2-1.

The finish changed the mood before half-time. Neftchi still led, but the earlier two-goal cushion had disappeared.

Dinamo carried the improvement into the second half. Evgeni Malashevich scored the equaliser two minutes after the restart.

The defender arrived at the right moment and made the score 2-2. Neftchi had lost its full advantage within eleven playing minutes.

Vardanyan then struck again after fifty-seven minutes. His second goal completed Dinamo’s comeback and gave the visitors their first lead.

The Armenian forward had scored on both sides of half-time. His two finishes changed a difficult away match completely.

Dinamo protected the centre after moving ahead. Neftchi increased its attacking numbers and left more space behind midfield.

Alykulov completes the away victory

Neftchi pushed for an equaliser during the next phase. The home side sent more deliveries toward Dinamo’s penalty area.

Dinamo goalkeeper Ivan Kozakevich handled several dangerous moments. His defenders also blocked attempts near the edge of the box.

The visitors continued looking for space on the break. Gulzhigit Alykulov joined those attacks from the left side.

Alykulov scored after seventy-seven minutes. His finish extended Dinamo’s lead to 4-2 and completed the sequence of unanswered goals.

Neftchi still had time to reduce the deficit. Dinamo kept a compact defensive shape during the remaining minutes.

The score did not change again. Dinamo left Baku with four away goals and a two-goal aggregate advantage.

The final result reflected a complete reversal. Neftchi controlled the opening, while Dinamo controlled the decisive middle period.

Three Dinamo goals arrived between Vardanyan’s first finish and his second. That spell carried the visitors from 2-0 down to 3-2 ahead.

Alykulov then created distance before the final whistle. Neftchi never recovered the early control seen during the opening minutes.

The starting teams contained the main scorers

Mahmudov led Neftchi from central midfield and scored the opening goal. D’Almeida and Mathew also supported the home attacks.

Rza Jafarov started in goal for the Azerbaijani side. Badalov, Ribeiro, Gravillon and Kostin formed the defensive group.

Dinamo used Selyava beside Abdullahi in midfield. Alykulov and Poloz supplied width around Vardanyan.

Kozakevich started behind Toure, Begunov, Kalinin and Malashevich. Djime joined Vardanyan in the forward line.

The visitors stayed together after the own goal. Their response began before half-time and continued immediately after it.

Vardanyan produced the main individual contribution with two goals. Malashevich’s equaliser created the platform for his second finish.

Alykulov added the final goal instead of allowing a narrow finish. That strike changed the return game from one goal to two.

Dinamo take the lead into the return game

Dinamo reached this round after a difficult tie against Sileks. A penalty shootout decided that earlier contest in their favour.

Neftchi entered the Conference League at this stage. The Baku match was the club’s first European fixture of the season.

The second leg is scheduled for 30 July. Dinamo begin that match with a 4-2 aggregate lead.

The winner meets Braga or Zeleznicar Pancevo in the third round. Braga hold a narrow lead in that separate tie.

Neftchi’s two early goals remain part of the aggregate score. Dinamo’s four-goal response now gives the Belarusian side the advantage.

Mahmudov’s opener and Selyava’s own goal created an unusual beginning. Vardanyan then led the recovery with one goal in each half.

Malashevich supplied the equaliser before Alykulov completed the result. Four different scoring moments transformed the match in Baku.