The first games of the Azerbaijan Cup semifinals were marked by defeats for the two most successful clubs in the tournament’s history.
Qarabag lost 0-1 to Araz-Nakhchivan away, and Neftchi lost 1-2 at home to Sabah, Idman.biz reports.
This is only the second time such an event has occurred in the history of the national cup. In previous seasons, both Qarabag and Neftchi only once started the semifinals with a defeat.
In the 2003/04 season, in the first match of the semifinals, the Baku team lost 0-1 to Bakili away, while Qarabag lost 1-2 at home to Shamkir. After 21 years, the results were similar, with the home teams losing 1-2 and the visitors winning 0-1. At that time, the Black and Whites advanced through the capital derby and eventually won the cup.
This is the 21st semifinal for Neftchi and the 20th for Qarabag.
Idman.biz
