Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tashkent: Goals by Vokhid Shodiev and Sardor Rashidov secured Bunyodkor an eighth consecutive appearance in the group stage of the AFC Champions League after the Uzbek side defeated UAE club Al Jazira 2-1 in the final round of the play-offs on Tuesday.
Forward Shodiev was on target midway through the first half at Bunyodkor Stadium only for Ali Mabkhout to draw the sides level from the penalty spot on the brink of half-time.
Rashidov, though, put the hosts back in front on the 52nd minute and the Tashkent club were able to see out the tie to take the final place in Group A alongside Saudi Arabian champions Al Nassr, Qatar Stars League winners Lekhwiya and Iran’s Persepolis.
Al Jazira, who had defender Khalid Sebil dismissed in stoppage time, meanwhile, missed out on a seventh consecutive appearance in the group stage of the AFC Champions League.
Bunyodkor had been boosted by the news that Al Jazira’s star foreign import and top scorer Mirko Vucinic was not in the matchday squad and the home side ran most of the early proceedings of the tie with Uzbekistan international Rashidov often the attacking outlet.
A succession of corner kicks from Rashidov pelted Khaled Al Senaani’s goal and it was from his free-kick wide on the right that the opener arrived as the 23-year-old’s whipped in-swinging delivery caused consternation in the Al Jazira backline.
And after Basheer Saeed’s attempted clearance ricocheted off the back of team-mate Abdulla Mousa, Shodiev was on hand to slide home past Al Senaani after the ball had fortunately dropped into his path.
Bunyodkor continued to look worthy of their lead, but on the stroke of half-time Al Jazira regained parity as Jonathan Pitropia was upended by Bunyodkor goalkeeper Akbar Turaev following a through ball from Mabkhout, who converted the resulting penalty.
But just seven minutes into the second half, Rashidov was again in the thick of the action as he latched onto a long ball over the top from Sato Minori and out-paced the flat-footed Al Jazira defence before deftly side-footing the ball into the top left-hand corner past Al Senaani.
The Emirati club strived to find an equaliser and Mabkhout looked the man most likely to haul them level as he squeezed past two Bunyodkor defenders on 66 minutes to go one-on-one with Turaev, but his angled shot across goal rolled wide of the far post.
Al Jazira were almost caught out at the other end of the pitch as second-half substitute Eldor Shomurodov sent a header narrowly wide with six minutes of the match remaining.
But the visitor’s chances of snatching an equaliser were dealt a final blow in the first minute of added time when Sebil received a red card for hauling down substitute Dostonbek Khamdamov when through on goal.
Bunyodkor, though, will see their AFC Champions League campaign continue as they travel to Saudi Arabia to face Al Nassr in Riyadh next Tuesday.