At the Zira Stadium in Baku on 8 July 2026, Zira FK swept aside Georgian representatives Torpedo Kutaisi 3-0 in the first qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa Conference League. The scoreline was emphatic — and for the most part a fair reflection of the balance of power on the pitch.
Ruan Renato Bonifácio Augusto puts Zira in front
The match saw an early yellow card for Torpedo's Kuprava in the 22nd minute — an early sign that the visitors were already feeling the squeeze. Ten minutes later the opener arrived: Ruan Renato Bonifácio Augusto converted in the 32nd minute to make it 1-0, assisted by Aliyev. The Brazilian defender, who has been with Zira FK since June 2023 and was born on 14 January 1994, once again demonstrated his threat from the back line. Torpedo Kutaisi, appearing in Conference League qualifying for the second successive season, could find no answer to the home side's compact performance before the break.
Volkovi strikes — Zira put the game to bed
Just two minutes after the restart, Zira struck again. Davit Volkovi, the Georgian striker who rejoined Zira FK on a new deal in 2024, made it 2-0 in the 47th minute. Volkovi, who had previously represented the club between 2020 and 2022, underlined his value to head coach Rashad Sadyqov's side with that finish. A yellow card for Torpedo's Bukia in the 50th minute only highlighted the visitors' increasingly desperate situation.
In the 64th minute, Ruan Renato Bonifácio Augusto wrapped things up by converting a penalty to complete the 3-0 scoreline. On the Torpedo touchline, German head coach Dirk Schuster was powerless to intervene. Schuster — named Germany's coach of the year in 2016 and the man who guided Darmstadt 98 from the third tier all the way to the Bundesliga — endured a chastening evening in his first head-coaching role abroad.
A clear result, a clear advantage
As the match entered its closing stages, Zira FK eased off the accelerator. Davit Volkovi was substituted in the 72nd minute, while Torpedo also made several changes. A yellow card for Cherif in the 90th+1 minute was little more than a footnote. The 3-0 first-leg win leaves Zira FK in a highly comfortable position ahead of the return fixture. Torpedo Kutaisi now face a significant mountain to climb if they are to progress to the next round of Conference League qualifying.
