Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Naif Hazazi came off the bench to score an 86th minute equaliser and salvage a point for Al Shabab as the Saudi Pro League side shared an enthralling 2-2 draw with Uzbek club Pakhtakor on Tuesday in their AFC Champions League Matchday Two tie.
Abdulrahman Al Khaibary had put the home side in front on 39 minutes only to see Igor Sergeev draw the sides level after the hour mark.
Pakhtakor captain Kakhi Makharadze then added a second to put the visitors in front on 71 minutes before Hazazi netted the leveler with six minutes of the tie remaining.
The Saudi Arabia striker’s goal keeps the Saudi side undefeated, although remaining two points behind Group B leaders Pakhtakor and level with Al Ain after the Emirati club shared a 1-1 draw with Naft Tehran of Iran in the group’s other game on Tuesday.
Pacheco relieved Al Shabab salvaged a point
After taking a point against last year’s semi-finalists Al Ain in a goalless tie in Matchday One, Al Shabab’s starting line-up remained unchanged, while visitors Pakhtakor brought in forward Vladimir Kozak as a replacement for the suspended Sherzodbek Karimov.
Al Shabab began brightly with Hassan Fallatah having the game’s first shot on target on 17 minutes with a ferocious strike from just outside the penalty area which Alexander Lobanov did well to push aside.
The Pakhtakor goalkeeper was called into action again five minutes later as Rafinha danced through the visitor’s backline and forced Lobanov into another sprawling save.
Al Shabab continued to turn the screw, though, with Fallatah’s surges up the right flank proving a constant menace.
It was from one of those forays that Al Shabab had their best chance of the half as Fallatah’s cross-cum-shot ricocheted off the near post into the path of John Antwi, but the forward was frustrated to see his own effort hit the same upright and cannon behind.
The Ghanaian forward had another chance on 35 minutes but after being put through by Al Khaibary his tame shot was easily blocked by the feet of Lobanov.
However, with defender Aleksandr Merzlyakov dawdling over the loose ball, an alert Al Khaibary was able to follow up and charge down the defender’s attempt clearance and force the ball into the net for the game’s opener.
Pakhtakor did have a chance to go into half-time level, though, as Jamshid Iskanderov’s swirling freekick from fully 30 yards out needed a flying save from Waleed Abdullah to preserve his side’s lead.
The Uzbek club came out in the second half determined to break the stranglehold their hosts had on the game and just 10 minutes after the restart Egor Krimets had a chance for a leveler as he leaped highest to power in a header from Iskanderov’s corner-kick but Abdullah was again equal to the attempt.
But just after the hour mark the visitors had the equaliser their efforts merited, substitute Jaloliddin Masharipov’s cross was met by Sergeev and although his volley was kept out by a combination of Abdullah and the crossbar, he was able to prod home the loose ball to tie the score.
And Pakhtakor completed their second half revival with 19 minutes remaining as Makharadze confidently converted from the spot for his second goal in consecutive continental games after Fallatah was penalised for his challenge inside the area on Sergeev.
The goal galvanised Al Shabab, though, and with six minutes remaining they drew level again as Hazazi cushioned Rafinha’s pass into the path of Abdullah Al Astaa and the striker then launched himself at the return cross to stab the ball home and achieve parity for the hosts.
Photo: WSG