Doha: Al Gharafa bounced back to winning ways with a 1-0 defeat of Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the seventh round (West Zone) of 2024-2025 season AFC Champions League Elite at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Tuesday.
Ferjani Sassi netted the only goal for The Cheetahs in the 39th minute of an engaging match, which also featured a potential second goal for the home team by Spanish striker Joselu, disallowed due to an offside infraction.
With the result, Al Gharafa moved onto seven points from seven games after earning their second win of the campaign while Pakhtakor’s chances suffered a significant blow with the Uzbekistan side remaining on four points with one round left.
Al Gharafa nearly took the lead within the first minute when Joselu attempted a shot that sailed over the crossbar, following an excellent pass from Yacine Brahimi. Just three minutes later, Matías Nani’s header, directed towards goal from a corner taken by Brahimi, was skillfully cleared in front of Pakhtakor’s net.
For most parts of the match, the Tashkent-based team struggled to establish their rhythm, with Brahimi notably creating significant challenges for their defense.
In the 25th minute, the 34-year-old winger was thwarted by goalkeeper Jhonatan Luiz, who managed to deflect a shot aimed across the goal. With just over six minutes left in the first half, the Algeria international successfully penetrated the visiting defense.
Brahimi surged through the center of the Pakhtakor defense to receive a return pass from Joselu at the edge of the penalty area, subsequently assisting Sassi, who skillfully placed his shot past Luiz, striking the inside of the goalkeeper’s left post.
Al Gharafa appeared to have increased their advantage in the 64th minute when Brahimi once again pressured Pakhtakor’s defense. His pass set up Ahmed Al Ganehi, whose deflected cross was headed in by Joselu. However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review.
With ten minutes remaining, Moreira brought on Ulugbek Khoshimov, but like his teammates, he was unable to breach Al Gharafa’s defense, allowing the home side to secure the victory comfortably.
Pakhtakor will face Al Sadd from Qatar in Tashkent on February 17 while Al Gharafa will away to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli.
