The key facts

  • Neftchi lost 1:2 to Al-Ittihad in the matchday 3 game of the AFC Champions League Elite on October 26 in Fergana
  • Jamshid Iskanderov opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute, Aouar equalized in the 34th, and En-Nesyri scored the winner in the 90+1st
  • After three matchdays Neftchi has three points, Al-Ittihad four

A last-minute goal deprived Neftchi of points

The AFC Champions League Elite matchday 3 football match between Neftchi and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad took place on October 26 at the Istiklol Stadium in Fergana and ended with a 2:1 away win, UzNews.uz reports. The hosts started the game actively: in the 17th minute Neftchi won a penalty, which Jamshid Iskanderov converted. In the 27th minute Alisher Odilov sent the ball into the visitors' net, but the goal was disallowed. In the 34th minute Al-Ittihad equalized — after a pass from Steven Bergwijn, Houssem Aouar beat Botirali Ergashev. The teams went into halftime at 1:1.

The decisive substitution and the crossbar

In the second half Neftchi came close to taking the lead again: in the 58th minute, after Michel Augusto's shot, the ball hit the crossbar. In the 63rd minute the Saudi club's coaching staff brought Youssef En-Nesyri on in place of Georges Mikautadze's replacement... — and it was the Moroccan striker who decided the outcome of the match: in the 90+1st minute he scored with an accurate free kick to give Al-Ittihad the win with a score of 2:1.

Standings

This defeat was the Fergana club's second in a row in the AFC Champions League Elite. After three matchdays, Neftchi has three points, while Al-Ittihad has collected four. According to the publication, the Uzbek team led the score and had a chance for a second goal, but failed to hold on to the advantage — the outcome was decided by a goal scored in stoppage time. The final standings after three matchdays leave Neftchi with only a minimal points cushion, and the upcoming matches will be key for the team in terms of its chances of advancing from the group — however, the source does not specify the exact format or the schedule of further games.