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Al Shabab suffer second AFC Champions League defeat

 

Al Shabab disappointed their home fans with their second loss in a row in Group B of the AFC Champions League, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan on Tuesday night at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium in Dubai.

The home side started the game looking for an early goal, but Pakhtakor’s away tactics meant Al Shabab always had to be wary of dangerous counter attacks from the Uzbek team. Pakhtakor’s Aleksandr Merzlyakov came close to opening the scoring with a left-footed volley from distance, but Al Shabab goalkeeper Salem Abdullah managed to tip it over the crossbar for a corner in the 16th minute. Five minutes later Al Shabab tried a long-range strike of their own, with defender Walid Abbas launching the ball goalwards, but it was deflected away from danger by the disciplined Pakhtakor defense, and the teams went into the half-time break with the game goalless.

Al Shabab and their guests continued their attempts in the second half and Brazilian Luiz Henrique had a good chance to get the home side into the lead, but his close-range header missed the target. Luiz Henrique again went close in the 65th minute, hitting the crossbar with a shot from outside the box, and Al Shabab teammate Essa Obaid’s header from the rebound was deflected for a corner by Lobanov in the Pakhtakor goal. Lobanov was again called into action five minutes later, this time saving superbly from opponent and fellow compatriot Haydarov Uzizbek’s powerful shot.

In a game that looked like ending goalless in the latter stages, the visitors managed to snatch all three points with a late winner scored after 85 minutes. Jamshid Isakanderov broke the deadlock when he fired home from an acrobatic assist by Igor Sergeev, giving Pakhtakor a 1-0 lead against the run of play and securing two wins out of two in Group B for the Uzbek side.