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AFCL - Three goals in 11 second-half minutes
gave Pakhtakor a 3-1 win over Foolad in Tehran to further enhance the Uzbek
champions' hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions
League.
Pakhtakor, who reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2003 and 2004,
were forced to battle back from being a goal down after Meysam Soleimani
gave Foolad the lead 10 minutes before the break.
But an equaliser from Renat Bayramov less than a minute after the restart
kick-started Pakhtakor's resurgence and Vladislav Kiryan gave the visitors
the lead two minutes later.
Komoloddin Tadjiev doubled the Uzbek side's advantage in the 57th minute,
putting the result beyond doubt as Pakhtakor moved onto nine points from
four Group A games.
It could, however, have been so different after Foolad received a boost
prior to kick-off with news that Iraqi international Emad Mohammed was fit
to play and the Iranian club dominated the opening exchanges.
But for the talents of Pakhtakor goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov, Foolad would
have turned that superiority into goals in the oening exchanges while
Mohammed thought he had put his side on the score-sheet, only to see his
effort ruled out for offside.
Nesterov was called upon in the 20th minute to deny Adel Kolahkaj before the
Uzebk keeper was injured in a clash with Ali Badavi that resulted in the
goalkeeper being replaced by Temur Juraev.
With 10 minutes to go to half-time Kuraev was picking the ball out of the
net after Mohammed fed Badavi on the left wing and his cross was met by
Soleimani, who scored from close range.
Pakhtakor, however, were to pull level almost immediately after the restart
when a mistake by Alavi allowed Bayramov to equalise.
Two minutes later Bayramov turned provider when he fed the ball through the
Foolad defence for Kiryan to powerfully shoot past Ebrahim Mirzapour in the
home side’s goal.
Milad Nori’s effort hit the crossbar as Foolad sought out the equaliser but,
in the 57th minute, Pakhtakor extended their lead when Aleksander Kletskov
beat Mirzapour to the ball with his head, flicking it into the path of
Tadjiev, who headed home.
Anvarjon Sloiev could have added a fourth just before the hour mark but
Mirzapour did well to deny the Uzbek international.
Mohammed went close to reducing the deficit with a header as the game
entered the final quarter while Lafteh Hamidi missed a golden chance with 15
minutes of the game remaining.
But it was not enough to deny Valeri Nepomniatchi’s team their third win in
four AFC Champions League games this season.
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