Kazakh visitors strike first
Yerevan, Alashkert Stadium – The first half passed without a goal, though the match grew in intensity early on. As early as the 49th minute, Alashkert's Piloyan and Nalbandyan were both shown yellow cards, with Yelimay's Tanasijevic booked at the same time. Shortly afterwards, in the 55th minute, Bakhtiyarov of the Kazakh club also picked up a yellow card.
The decisive moments came in the second half. In the 60th minute, Arsen Ashirbek put Yelimay Semey ahead — the 22-year-old midfielder finished off a combination play after a pass from Sviridov to make it 0-1. For Alashkert and head coach Vahe Gevorgyan, who has been in charge since July 2025, going behind in their opening European tie of the season was a painful blow.
Terteryan strikes late to level
Alashkert responded with changes. As early as the 50th minute, coach Gevorgyan had introduced Davit Terteryan as a substitute for Hakobyan — a decision that would pay dividends in the closing stages. In the 86th minute, Terteryan equalised at 1-1 after a pass from Nalbandyan, sparing the Armenian club a first-leg defeat.
Terteryan, born on 17 December 1997 in Abovyan, joined Alashkert from FC Van ahead of the current season. The defender, who has earned eleven caps for the Armenian national team, scored in his first European appearance for his new club. The fact that it was a defender who delivered the crucial response in the closing stages speaks to the depth of Alashkert's squad.
Level playing field ahead of the second leg
The match concluded in stoppage time with a further yellow card for Payruz (Yelimay, 101st minute). The final score stands at 1-1. For Yelimay Semey — a club with a colourful history, having won the Kazakh title three times in the 1990s before returning to professional football as recently as 2023 after a lengthy absence — an away draw is a serviceable result. Alashkert, four-time Armenian champions, spurned the chance to take a home-leg victory, but have kept the tie firmly open.
The second leg takes place on 16 July 2026 in Semey. Whoever comes out on top over the two legs will advance to the next qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League 2026/27. Both sides go into that second meeting on perfectly level terms.
