AFC Champions League group play continued today with Sepahan v Lokomotiv Tashkent in Isfahan and Pakhtakor v Tractor Sazi in Tashkent.
Group A
In Isfahan, visitors Lokomotiv took the lead after fifteen minutes through a goal from Marat Bikmaev. Midfielder Sanjar Shaakhmedov sent a perfect pass into the penalty area and Sepahan keeper Rahman Ahmadi found himself in no-man’s land and was unable to stop Bikmaev’s left footed strike.
Sepahan supporters would leave disappointed after Sardor Mirzayev added a second clinching goal in the 87th minute to give Lokomotiv a huge 2-0 road victory.
In the other group match, Al-Nasr scored road victory at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia by way of two goals scored by Brazilian striker Nilmar.
Sepahan are currently in third place in the group with only three points and will face Lokomotiv in Tashkent on April 6th.
Group C
In Taskhent, Uzbekistan, forward Igor Sergeev scored the only goal of the match to give Pakhtakor a 1-0 win over visitors Tractor Sazi. The goal scored by Sergeev was the first goal conceded by Tractor in the 2016 AFC Champions League.
Sergeev received a quick flick pass and fired the ball high into the net from the top of the penalty area despite being surrounded by three defenders.
Meanwhile, Al-Jazira of UAE and Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia shared the spoils in a 1-1 tie in Abu Dhabi.
Tractor Sazi remains at the top of the group with six points and will face Pakhtakor in Tabriz on April 6th in the return leg.