Araz Nakhchivan edged past Karvan Evlakh with a 2-1 scoreline in a tightly contested Azerbaijan Premier League match on Friday night. The home side secured a vital three points in their battle for a top-half finish, with the winning goal arriving in the second half to break the resistance of a determined Evlakh side. This result continues Araz's strong home form this season and dents Karvan's hopes of climbing away from the lower reaches of the table. The match began at a high tempo, with Araz Nakhchivan applying early pressure. Their dominance paid off in the 25th minute when a low cross was turned in from close range by the team's leading scorer. Karvan Evlakh, however, showed great character to fight back and leveled the score just before halftime against the run of play, capitalizing on a defensive error. The second half was a cagey affair, but the decisive moment came in the 70th minute as Araz won a penalty after a clumsy challenge in the box, which was calmly converted to restore their lead. A major talking point was the penalty decision, which the Karvan Evlakh players and staff protested vehemently, claiming minimal contact. The referee stood by his call after a brief consultation with his assistant. Karvan's goalkeeper was outstanding, making several key saves to keep his team in the game, but ultimately his heroics were not enough to earn a point. The performance of Araz's midfield anchor, who controlled the tempo and broke up numerous attacks, was also crucial to the victory. With these points, Araz Nakhchivan consolidates its position in the upper mid-table, moving closer to the European qualification spots. For Karvan Evlakh, the narrow defeat means they remain perilously close to the relegation zone, with every point becoming critical. The Araz manager stated his team "showed maturity to win a difficult game," while the Karvan coach pointed to the penalty as a "harsh decision that changed the game." The teams lined up with Araz Nakhchivan favoring an attacking 4-3-3 formation, while Karvan Evlakh set up in a compact 4-2-3-1, looking to hit on the counter-attack throughout the evening.