That Esteghlal picked up a point through Kaveh Razaei\u2019s late equaliser, however, was testament to the refusal of Alireza Mansourian\u2019s team to settle for a defeat when all three points looked to be slipping away.
\nWhile the point could end up being crucial for both teams in their quest for a place in the Round of 16, the draw allowed Esteghlal to remain at the summit of Group A, with Lokomotiv three points adrift with two matches remaining.
\nClincal Bikmaev makes the difference
", "headline": "Analysis: Esteghlal persistence earns points despite clinical Bikmaev", "description": "Tashkent:\u00a0Marat Bikmaev might have been peripheral throughout the game between Uzbekistan\u2019s Lokomotiv and Islamic Republic of Iran's\u00a0side Esteghlal, but until three minutes from time it looked like the forward\u2019s clinical strike would be enough to secure all three points for Andriy Miklyaev\u2019s team.\r\n", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "url": "https://www.the-afc.com/", "name": "the AFC" }, "image": "https://assets.the-afc.com/migration/r/t/rtewus5st9e7adckacjf.jpg", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "datePublished": "2017-04-13", "url": "www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/news/analysis_esteghlal_persistence_earns_points_despite_clinical_bikmaev.html" }