«Arkadag» football players won a strong-willed victory over Mary's «Merv» - 3:1 in the opening match of the 19th round of the Turkmenistan Championship among the top league clubs.
The game took place in Mary at the «Merv» stadium.
Before this match, the opponents had already met each other twice this season. In the first round, «Arkadag» won a big victory on its home field – 7:0, and in the second, it won away with a modest score of 2:0.
The third face-to-face meeting of the teams began with an unexpected goal against the current two-time champion of Turkmenistan and the winner of the 2024/2025 AFC Challenge League. In the 9th minute, the home team organized a productive attack, which was completed with an accurate strike by Novruz Bayrammammedov.
However, Vladimir Bayramov's charges needed only four minutes to recoup. In the 13th minute, Altymyrat Annadurdyyev leveled the score – 1:1. With this result, the teams went into the break.
In the second half, for a long time, the Mary team skillfully held off the attacks of the leader of the national championship. The match was drawing to an end, and the scoreboard still showed a draw – 1:1. But there was no sensation. In the remaining 10 minutes before the end of regular time, the «Arkadag» players scored two goals and snatched a victory – 3:1. First, in the 80th minute, the top scorer of the last two national championships, Didar Durdyyev, distinguished himself. And in the 87th minute, Altymyrat Annadurdyyev scored a double.
After this match, Didar Durdyyev with 19 goals (1 from a penalty) strengthened his lead in the scorers' race. His teammate Begench Akmammedov is two goals behind him – 17 (1). Altymyrat Annadurdyyev is the third best sniper – 15 (1).
For Arkadag, the away match with «Merv» was the last rehearsal before the upcoming home game against Uzbek «Andizhan» on the 17th of September in the first round of the AFC Champions League 2 group stage.
Having won 20 games in a row, «Arkadag » with 60 points strengthened its lead in the Turkmenistan Football Championship. «Ahal» is 28 points behind, but it has played 4 games less.
The third position with 30 points is occupied by «Altyn Asyr», which in this round will host Kopetdag in the capital derby. In another match at the capital's «Nisa» stadium, will play «Ashgabat» – «Nebitchi».
The final game of the 19th round of the national championship «Shagadam» - «Ahal» has been postponed to one of the reserve days due to the participation of the vice-champion of Turkmenistan in the upcoming away match of the first round of the group stage of the AFC-2 Champions League against the Indian club «Mohun Bagan» on the 16th of September.
turkmenistan.gov.tm
