Pakhtakor extend home winning record

Pakhtakor 2 Zob Ahan 0
Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, UZB
AFC Champions League - Group A

AFC - Reigning Uzbek league and cup champions Pakhtakor extended their proud home winning record in the AFC Champions League to nine games as they beat Iranian side Zob Ahan 2-0 at the Pakhtakor Stadium on Wednesday to move to the top of Group A.

A well-taken first half goal by Leonid Koshelev and an injury time strike by Marat Mikmoev helped Pakhtakor to avenge a 1-0 away loss to Zob Ahan in February and should ensure the Uzbek side's passage into the last eight of the competition, pending AFC Competitions Committee meetings in Kuala Lumpur later this week.

The competitions committee is to decide on the allocation of points for matches involving Riffa of Bahrain, who withdrew from the AFC Champions League midway through the Group Stage. However, Pakhtakor's position at the top of their group is unlikely to be affected as they had yet to play the Bahraini side before their withdrawal.

With much at stake for both Pakhtakor and Zob Ahan in Wednesday's game, both sides began nervously and created few chances of note early on. The best of the early opportunities fell to Pakhtakor's Zaynitdin Tadjiyev who was found unmarked in the box in the 15th minute but rushed his shot and put it wide of Armenak Petrosian's left upright.

Leonid Koshelev saw an attempt deflected out of play by a Zob Ahan defender shortly after but the Pakhtakor player made no mistake on 27 minutes as he put the finishing touch on a wonderful flowing move.

Timur Kapadze's lofted ball from midfield was flicked on by the head of Anvar Soliev to Ildar Magdeev on the right wing. Magdeev outpaced the Zob Ahan defence before sending a low cross to an unmarked Koshelev, who placed his shot into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Koshelev would prove to be a constant menace to the Iranians, going close on a number of occasions to extending his side's lead.

Zob Ahan offered little in attack but could have drawn level in the 35th minute when Ali Tahmasebi won a strong aerial challenge before turning the last defender to create space for a shot in the Pakhtakor box. However, the Zob Ahan striker fired his point-blank effort straight at Pakhtakor goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov as the chance went begging.

Magdeev had a golden opportunity to wrap up the match on 52 minutes when an excellent long pass sent him clear on goal. However, Petrosian proved equal to his task as he made an excellent save to deny Magdeev a goal.

Pakhtakor were then robbed again when Ebrahim Taghipiur cynically pulled back Anvar Soliev on the edge of the box as the Pakthtakor forward looked to be bursting clear on goal.

However, the home side were to be finally rewarded for their efforts in stoppage time as they were awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Koshelev's shot was stopped by Petrosian but the Zob Ahan goalkeeper midjudged the bounce and allowed the ball to squirm free at the feet of substitute Bikmoev, who fired the ball into the gaping net.

Pakhtakor play their final Group A tie against Qatar Sports Club in Doha on May 19.