qarabağ make history as muarem stuns dnipro published: thursday 23 october 2014, 23.50cet fc dnipro dnipropetrovsk 0-1 qarabağ fk muarem muarem's superb solo goal stunned the hosts in group f as qarabağ became the first azeri club to win a major group stage match.
• qarabağ become first azeri club to win a uefa group stage match • visitors' first goal of campaign settles contest • muarem muarem scores winner, with fine solo effort • dnipro winless and goalless in group f • next games: qarabağ v dnipro (6 november)
qarabağ fk became the first azeri club to win a uefa group stage match after a 1-0 uefa europa league group f victory at fc dnipro dnipropetrovsk.
goals have been few and far between in group f, and it was fitting that qarabağ's first of the campaign settled this contest. muarem muarem's 21st-minute strike illuminated a claustrophobic first period, finishing a blistering counter in style. driving into the box from the left flank, he cut inside past two challengers on to his right foot, and curled low into the far corner to stun the home crowd.
the visitors sprang at their opponents immediately the match restarted, too, reynaldo bursting down the right and bringing a fine near-post parry from denys boyko.
dnipro turned the screw as the match wore on, with ıvan strinić and yevhen konoplyanka combining to great effect on the left. captain ruslan rotan almost profited at a cross from the latter, timing his run to perfection but sending his header skywards.
a rare qarabağ foray almost brought the second goal, as goalscorer muarem stole in to exploit hesitant play in the dnipro backline. the striker steadied himself, but when forced wide he could not slip his effort past a sprawling boyko.
backs-to-the-wall defending was necessary for the final minutes, with one superb headed interception proving vital in the dying seconds. a desperate, diving admir teli prevented a clean-through nikola kalinić from collecting an inviting long pass. he would surely have scored.
