Azerbaijan Premier League's matches to kick off today
Laman Ismayilova
Read moreThe first matches of the 2026 Azerbaijan Premier League season will take place on January 23, Azernews reports.
The opening match of Round XVII will see Araz-Nakhchivan face Imishli at the stadium of the Guba Olympic Sports Complex.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 14:30. Currently, Araz-Nakhchivan sit 6th in the league standings with 26 points, while Imishli are 9th with 7 points.
Meanwhile, Neftchi will host Zira at the Palms Sports Arena, with the match starting at 19:00.
The "Black and Whites" are 8th in the standings with 20 points, while the "Eagles" occupy third place with 28 points.
The remaining matches of the round will be played on January 24–25.
The Azerbaijan Premier League was first organized in 2007 and succeeded the Top Division, which existed from 1992 to 2007. FC Qarabag won the title in the 2022–2023 season for the tenth time.
The 2024–25 Azerbaijan Premier League marks the 33rd season of Azerbaijan's top-tier football competition.
On April 27, 2025, during the 32nd round of the Premier League, Qarabag FC clinched the title with four matches to spare after a 1–1 draw against Sabah.
This victory made them the champions for the 12th time overall and for the fourth consecutive season.
This season is the final one featuring 10 teams, as the league will expand to 12 teams starting from the 2025–26 season.
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