Sharjah’s 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor in Matchday Four of the 2021 AFC Champion League has left the Emirati club top of Group B with two matches to play.
Tractor of Iran are two points behind in second place, ahead of their Matchday Five clash with Pakhtakor, while Sharjah take on Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
In the first meeting three days earlier, Sharjah had inflicted a 4-1 defeat on Pakhtakor. This time things were different but the Uzbek team failed to translate their dominance into a win.
Adel Al-Hosani in Sharjah’s goal was called into action early on when Hojimat Erkinov followed up Sardor Sabirkhodjaev’s attempt and fired from inside the area, but his shot was comfortably gathered by the Emirati goalkeeper.
Al-Hosani later saved Khojiakbar Alijonov’s stinging effort to maintain parity between the teams.
The Uzbek side came close once again before the break, after Caio headed away a corner kick that fell to Diyor Kholmatov, whose effort flew inches wide of Sharjah’s goal.
Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok finally made Pakhtakor’s pressure pay off when he pounced on Alijonov’s wayward shot, smashing in his first of the campaign past Al-Hosani.
The team from Uzbekistan would live to regret all their missed chances, with substitute Mohammad Khalfan equalizing for Sharjah within two minutes of joining the game. The Emirati latched onto another substitute Abdulaziz Salem’s low cross to secure a point for his side against the run of play.
