AFC Champions League: Al-Sadd defeat Pakhtakor 2-1 to go top of group

Baghdad Bounedjah’s late goal gave Al-Sadd a crucial 2-1 win over Uzbek side Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Group D match played on Monday evening at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

The result meant that Al-Sadd go top of Group D with 7 points. Xavi gave the Wolves the lead in the ninth minute before Pakhtakor’s Egor Krimets equalised in the 30th minute. Bounedjah then scored the winner for Al-Sadd in the 87th minute.

After a 2-2 draw in the away match in Tashkent, Al-Sadd went into this game looking to get all three points. Captain Xavi managed to give his side the perfect start in the ninth minute when he curled in a super free-kick, just liked he had done in Tashkent two weeks back.

Both sides then had chances to score but it was Pakhtakor who came close, with Marat Bikmaev’s header being kept our by Saad Al-Dosari in the 29th minute. A minute later, Pakhtakor equalised through Krimets, who headed in from close range after a cross was deflected across the box.

The deadlock remained for most of the match, despite the best efforts of the strikers from both sides. In the 66th minute, Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira sent on Yasir Abubakar in place of Ali Asad.

In the 75th minute, Xavi had a chance to score again but this time his free-kick was kept out by Kuvatov for a corner. The Pakhtakor keeper denied Xavi once again a few minutes later, blocking a fierce shot from the Spaniard.

Finally, Al-Sadd managed to find the elusive goal in the 87th minute, when Xavi pounced on a mistake from the Pakhtakor defence and played the ball across to Bounedjah. The Algerian marksman made no mistake and calmly slotted the ball past Kuvatov to give Al-Sadd the winning goal that sealed the 2-1 result.

MATCH DETAILS:

Al-Sadd x Pakhtakor (AFC Champions League Matchday Four – Group D)

Venue:

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium

Lineups:

Al-Sadd: Saad Al-Dosari, Abdelkarim Hassan, Khoukhi Boualem, Tareq Salman, Hamid Ismail, Salem Al-Hajri (jung Woo-young), Gabi, Xavi, Ali Asad (Yasir Abubakar), Hassan Al-Haydos, Baghdad Bounedjah

Pakhtakor: Sanjar Kuvatov, Khojiakbar Alijonov, Farrukh Sayfiev, Sherzod Azamov, Dragan Ceran, Dostonbek Khamdamov, Odiljon Xamrobekov, Sardor Sabirkhodjaev, Marat Bikmaev (Javokhir Sidikov), Jaloliddin Masharipov

Result:

Al-Sadd won 2-1

Goals:

Xavi 9′

Egor Krimets 30′

Baghdad Bounedjah 87′

Bookings:

Dragan Ceran 20′

Sanjar Kuvatov 32′

Odiljon Xamrobekov 37′

Gabi 40′

Dostonbek Khamdamov

Match officials:

Iida Jumpei

Satoshi Karakami

Omar Al Yaqoubi

Akane Yagi