Tashkent: Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor kept their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 alive on Monday with a 2-1 win over already-qualified Al Sadd in Tashkent as the side from Uzbekistan moved into the top eight with their first victory of the campaign.
According to Qatar News Agency, Brayan Riascos scored in the 18th and 56th minutes for the hosts either side of a Hassan Al Haydos 37th minute penalty as Pakhtakor doubled their goal tally for the league phase in a game that saw Al Sadd's Adam Ounas and Sardor Sobrikhojaev for the home side sent off.
The result means Pakhtakor face a nervous wait as the remaining matches in the west Asian league matches are completed to learn if the seven points they have accumulated will be enough to secure a last 16 place. It also means Iraq's Al Shorta are eliminated.
Needing a win to harbour any prospect of qualifying, Pakhtakor called Saad Al Sheeb into action in the sixth minute, Dostonbek Khamdamov testing the Al Sadd goalkeeper with a shot from outside the area. The rebound fell to Flamarion but he dragged his effort wide.
Riascos should have done better six minutes later when he picked up possession close to the Al Sadd goal after Abdessamed Bounacer's slip, only for his shot to be deflected wide as Boualem Khouki raced back to salvage the situation with a timely intervention.
The home side continued to test the Al Sadd defence, Flamarion seeing his header touched wide by Youcef Atal but, soon after, the opener came.
Khodjiakbar Alijonov's searching cross from the right found Flamarion at the far post and the Brazilian's header back across the face of goal was steered home from close range by Riascos.
Flamarion was causing the Al Sadd defence considerable problems, almost doubling Pakhtakor's lead when a clever flick with his head caused Al Sheeb to throw himself to his left as the ball bounced narrowly wide of the goalkeeper's left post.
It was against the run of play that Al Sadd were given the opportunity to level from the spot when, following a VAR review, Hassan Al Haydos was awarded a penalty as Alijonov was judged to have brought down the ex-Qatar international, who stepped up to score.
Despite that setback, Pakhtakor started the second half brightly and, 12 minutes after the resumption, the hosts went ahead again.
Jonatan Lucca's free kick on the edge of the area was blocked by the Al Sadd defensive wall but, after the ball looped high into the sky, Riascos rose to head past Al Sheeb.
Both teams were reduced to 10 men following an off-the-ball altercation between Ounas and Sobrikhojaev that saw the pair expelled with little over a quarter of the game remaining.
Khamdamov's driven strike was deflected wide as Pakhtakor sought a decisive third and, although that failed to materialise, Moreira's side prevailed.