Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Tashkent: Bunyodkor caretaker coach Alexander Volkov lamented his team’s defensive lapses and their lack of a cutting edge as the Uzbek champions slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 tie at Pakhtakor Stadium on Wednesday.
Salem Al Dawsari scored the only goal late in the first half as the Saudi club grabbed the upper hand ahead of next week’s return game in Riyadh.
The home side dominated possession with Oleg Zoteev hitting the post in the 18th minute but their disappointing scoring form in this season’s tournament continued and they will now have a great deal to do at the King Fahd International Stadium in order to keep alive their campaign.
Volkov who was put in charge of Bunyodkor after Mirdjalal Kasimov stepped down early last month, was understandably disappointed after he tasted defeat in the AFC Champions League for the time as a head coach
“We expected a better game from Al Hilal,” said Volkov. “They tried to use counterattacking tactics but unfortunately, we conceded very simple goal.
“My players showed themselves at training, but when they play in a match they make mistakes.
”Oleksandr Pyshchur and Hayrulla Karimov tried to play good football, but they couldn`t do it very well.
“We need good level strikers and maybe we will try to find them after the first part of our season as we have no high level defender or striker in our squad now.