Yerevan’s Vazgen Sargsyan Stadium saw a thriller on Monday, though the home supporters left with heavy hearts. Armenia went down three goals to two against Montenegro in Group C2 of the UEFA Nations League, conceding a winner deep into the contest.
The opening stretch was cagey. Montenegro held more of the ball but rarely looked threatening, and Armenia struggled to feed their attackers. The visitors broke through first, reportedly helped by an own goal from Erik Piloyan. Armenia hit back quickly, with Serobyan on target to restore parity, and the hosts pushed hard for more. Montenegro found a second before the interval, sending the teams in with the visitors ahead.
Armenia emerged after the break with fresh energy, and it paid off when Eduard Spertsyan produced a superb strike to make it level again. The crowd sensed a comeback, and Yeghishe Melikyan’s side kept pressing. Sadly, the decisive blow belonged to the guests. Substitute Aleksa Latković found the net in the closing minutes, around the 88th or 89th, and Montenegro escaped with all three points.
The loss stings because Armenia had recovered from behind twice. Even so, the picture is far from bleak. They began the campaign by beating Latvia two goals to nil, leaving them with three points from two fixtures. Montenegro, who earlier edged Cyprus two goals to one, now sit with a perfect record.
Attention quickly turns to the next challenge. Armenia travel to face Cyprus on October 2, where a response will be expected. If the attacking spirit shown here carries over and the defence tightens up, the group remains wide open.
