Al Ain Hold Pakhtakor to 1-1 Draw Despite Playing with 10 Men, Keep Knockout Hopes Alive
Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: Reigning continental champions Al Ain kept their AFC Champions League Elite knockout hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Pakhtakor, despite playing the last 35 minutes with 10 men at the Pakhtakor Central Stadium in Tashkent.
The match began with an early breakthrough for the hosts as Otabek Jurakuziyev scored in the sixth minute, giving Pakhtakor a swift lead. Al Ain, however, equalized through Soufiane Rahimi’s composed finish in the 49th minute.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 55th minute when Yahia Nader was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle, reducing Leonardo Jardim’s team to 10 players. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Al Ain held firm against a determined Pakhtakor side to secure a vital point.
With this result, Al Ain move to two points in the standings, trailing Esteghlal, who occupy the crucial eighth position in the west league table, by three points. Pakhtakor, meanwhile, are one point ahead of the UAE champions with two matches remaining in the group stage.
Al Ain now face a challenging path to advance to the knockout rounds as they prepare for their final two fixtures in this highly competitive tournament
