AFC/TNN
Tashkent
Qatar’s Al Rayyan claimed their first win in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 on Tuesday when Hazem Shehata’s fortunate strike from distance was the only goal of the game at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent to earn coach Younes Ali’s side a 1-0 win over Pakhtakor.
The victory, which came after the defender beat Vladimir Nazarov with a miss-hit punt forward in the 51st minute, earns Al Rayyan their first points of the campaign and moves the Qatar Stars League side off the bottom of the standings in the league phase.
Pakhtakor, meanwhile, remain on two points after four games and are still waiting for their first win in the competition as the club from Tashkent slipped out of the top eight places in the table that guarantee progress to March’s knockout rounds.
“The competition has truly begun for us now. This is a crucial victory that has revived our hopes. Every single point will count in the race for the knockout stage,” Al Rayyan coach Younes Ali said, acknowledging the stiff challenge posed by Pakhtakor.
“They played very well in the first half and created numerous chances. We improved in the second half and managed to score the winner. The pitch was particularly challenging for us, especially in the opening half,” the Al Rayyan coach added.
Shehata was delighted to have helped Al Rayyan secure three valuable points.
“I’m happy to score the winning goal, but the most important thing is Al Rayyan have won the match. We’ve climbed to seventh in the standings and now we’ll aim to improve our position in the next game,” he said.
The home side had started brightly with Sardor Sabirkhodjaev seeing his perfectly executed volley in the sixth minute tipped spectacularly over bar by goalkeeper Paulo Victor as the Uzbek side pressed their visitors from the opening whistle.
Pakhtakor went even closer in the 17th minute as Muhammadrasul Abdumajidov’s header thumped against Victor’s right post while Khojiakbar Alijonov’s 27th minute ball across the face of goal should have been tapped in by Otabek Jurakuziyev.
Three minutes into injury time the home team were frustrated again, Alijonov forcing Victor to push the ball away after Dragan Ceran flicked on goalkeeper Nazarov’s long punt forward.
Pakhtakor continued to dictate the tempo after the interval before being caught out with a 51st minute sucker punch when Shehata’s attempt from deep to find Roger Guedes in the penalty area was overhit, instead flying over Nazarov’s head and into the top corner.
Muhammadali Urinboev almost levelled the scores two minutes later but Victor blocked his first-time effort from seven yards out after Umar Adhamzoda’s low centre from the left found the substitute in space to strike.
Mahmoud Trezeguet’s header was just off target and David Garcia flashed a ball across goal that should have been converted as Al Rayyan sought a second while Abdumajidov volleyed over the bar with the Al Rayyan goal at his mercy from six yards moments later.
Ceran was given the chance to level with two minutes remaining but the Pakhtakor captain’s tame header of Kimi Merk’s cross was easily collected by Victor and Al Rayyan secured the three points.
Al Rayyan’s next match is a home fixture against Iran’s Persepolis at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on November 25.AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25
