Three matches in Turkmenbashy, Ashgabat, and Balkanabat marked the start of the 11th round of the Turkmenistan Premier League football championship.The opening fixtures proved highly entertaining, delivering both an expected triumph for the league leaders and a nerve-racking battle filled with yellow cards.
Here is how the action unfolded.League leaders “Arkadag” visited “Shagadam” in Turkmenbashy and made it clear from the opening minutes that they had no intention of dropping points.
An early goal by Rakhman Myratberdiyev in the 5th minute set the tone for the match.Just before halftime, Dayanch Meredov doubled the visitors’ lead in the 45th minute.
However, “Shagadam” managed to revive hopes before the break when Guwanch Valiyev scored in the second minute of stoppage time.In the second half, “Arkadag’s” superior class prevailed.
The visitors calmly converted two penalties, with Guychmyrat Annagulyyev scoring in the 70th minute and Resul Hojayev adding another in the 79th minute to seal a convincing 41 victory.
Meanwhile, “Ashgabat” dismantled “Merv” on their home ground at Nisa Stadium, winning 51.The match remained evenly contested for much of the first half until Merdan Mukhadov opened the scoring in the 44th minute.
The real show began after the interval.Shatlyk Gurbanov doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 65th minute, after which it became Pirmyrat Sultanov’s turn.The “Ashgabat” forward completed a flawless hat-trick within 15 minutes, finding the net in the 69th, 79th, and 84th minutes, the last from the penalty spot.
A consolation goal by “Merv’s” Abdyresul Abdyyev in the 86th minute did little to alter the outcome of the rout.The match in Balkanabat, where bottom-placed “Kopetdag” visited “Nebithi,” produced the fewest goals but was the most intense encounter of the round.
The only goal of the game came in the 17th minute, scored by “Nebitchi’s” Seyitmammet Hojamammedov.The remainder of the match featured fierce and, at times, rough challenges.
The referee showed yellow cards on ten occasions!Tensions escalated in the closing minutes, with players seemingly collecting cautions one after another.The home side accounted for eight of the bookings.
Despite relentless pressure, “Nebitchi” bravely held on for a hard-fought 10 victory.The 11th round will conclude with a highly anticipated clash between two top clubs, as “Altyn Asyr” host “Ahal.” For now, after 11 matches, reigning champions “Arkadag” comfortably lead the table with a perfect record of 33 points.
Their closest challengers remain “Ahal” with 20 points and “Altyn Asyr” with 19 points, making their upcoming head-to-head encounter crucial in the battle for the top three places.
In the middle of the standings, “Nebitchi’s” victory in Balkanabat moved them up to fourth place with 13 points, overtaking “Shagadam,” who now sit fifth with 12 points. “Merv” follow with 11 points, while the in-form “Ashgabat” side has closed the gap significantly.
Thanks to their third consecutive victory, the capital club now has 10 points.At the bottom of the table, “Kopetdag” remain the league’s main strugglers, with just 5 points from 11 matches.
In the race for the top scorer, “Arkadag” striker Didar Durdyyev, the top scorer of the last four national championships, continues to lead with 9 goals, including 2 penalties.
He is followed by Suleyman Mirzoyev of “Ahal” with 6 goals (2 penalties), while Resul Hojayev of “Arkadag” and Serdar Gulyev of “Shagadam” have each scored 5 goals.Hojayev has converted one penalty, while S.
Gulyev has scored two from the spot.