Al Sadd edge Pakhtakor in ACL
Doha: Goals from Xavi and Baghdad Bounedjah earned Al Sadd a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor on Matchday Four of the 2019 AFC Champions League Group D on Tuesday.
The two teams had played out a 2-2 draw a fortnight ago in Tashkent and a single point separated them before kick-off, as Pakhtakor topped the group with five points.
Al Sadd needed just 10 minutes to take the lead through Xavi who, just as in the previous game, curled a free-kick into the top corner of Sanjar Kuvvatov net.
Farrukh Sayfiev crossed for Marat Bikmaev whose header was tipped over the bar by Saad Al Sheeb in the 29th minute.
Just a minute later, Pakhtakor got their equaliser. Khamdamov’s in-swinging cross was nodded on by Sherzod Azamov into the path of Krimets at the far post and the Pakhtakor captain headed it into the back of the net to draw his side level at the half-hour mark.
Xavi nearly scored his third free-kick in two matches in the 75th minute. The Spanish midfielder rifled from 30 yards out, but Kuvvatov stretched to make the save at the top corner.
The winning goal for Al Sadd came three minutes before the end of the 90 through Bounedjah.
The 2018 AFC Champions League top goalscorer dispossessed Pakhtakor defender Azamov and exchanged passes with Xavi before slotting home his second in this edition of the competition.
Al Sadd top Group D with this victory, which takes their tally to seven points. Meanwhile, Pakhtakor freeze at five points, slipping down to third place, with Al Ahli now moving to second with six points and Persepolis rounding the group off with four points at the bottom.
