Persepolis-Pakhtakor Archives - Iran News Daily

Pakhtakor Coach: Masharipov’s Red Card Killed off Match

reporter 1222 — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:09:47 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor coach Pieter Huistra says that dismissal of Jaloliddin Masharipov against Persepolis killed off the match.

Pakhtakor had only conceded two goals in the competition prior to Wednesday, but the dismissal of the talisman following a VAR-reviewed incident just 15 minutes into the Persepolis game was a turning point for them, according to Huistra.

“If you speak about the game, you speak about the first 15 minutes. The red card kills off the match, especially when you then go 1-0 down,” said Huistra.

“We tried to make substitutions and bring in new energy, but when you get yourself in the situation to get a red card, then it becomes very difficult to win this type of matches.

“I spoke to Masharipov after the game and, naturally, he feels responsible. He is one of the captains and stars of the team and he always wants to do well,” he added.

“If you look at the whole tournament, the players worked hard, played well and it fills me with optimism for the future,” Huistra stated.

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Persepolis to Play with Pakhtakor in ACL quarterfinals

reporter 1222 — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:26:05 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Persepolis squares off against Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the AFC Champions League (ACL) quarterfinals at Doha’s Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday.

History will be made at the last-eight round as the video assistant referee (VAR) will make its debut at the Asian club competitions.

Al Nassr and Al Taawoun will go head to head earlier on Wednesday in an all-Saudi battle for the other semifinal spot.

A victory over the 12-time Uzbekistan champion will see the Iranian Reds reach the last four of the competition for the third time in four years.

Persepolis and Pakhtakor met in last season’s group phase, where the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium before the Uzbek side claimed a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture in Tashkent.

Yahya Golmohammadi’s men have been in fine form following the resumption of the competition in Qatar, winning 3-in-4 to finish on top of Group C before an 88th-minute header by Issa Alekasir gave them a 1-0 victory over one of the tournament favorites Al Sadd in the round of 16 on Sunday.

Wednesday’s game comes a day before the fifth anniversary of the death of late Persepolis skipper Hadi Norouzi – who passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 30.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Hadi Norouzi on the anniversary of his passing. The players want to put in a fight tomorrow and dedicate the win to his soul,” Golmohammadi said in the pre-match press conference.

Although his side had an “exhausting game” against Al Sadd, but the Iranian manager still believes that his players “are well motivated and in good spirits.”

“We will need to consume more energy and fight in this game, but hopefully we can win and reach the next stage.”

Pakhtakor was handed the top spot in Group B after positive coronavirus tests of several players forced Saudi club Al Hilal out of the competition.

The Central Asian side then came from a goal behind to beat the other Tehran-based side Esteghlal 2-1.

The post Persepolis to Play with Pakhtakor in ACL quarterfinals appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Persepolis to Play with Pakhtakor at 2020 ACL in Quarter

reporter 1222 — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 09:52:55 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Persepolis football team from Iran was drawn to meet Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the 2020 AFC Champions League (West) quarter-finals following the draw in Doha on Monday.

Al-Nassr will also face Al-Ahli Saudi in an all-Saudi Arabia tie.

Both quarter-finals will be played at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday, with Saturday’s semi-final also to be played at the same venue. The two quarter-finals and semi-final will be one-legged affairs.

None of the four West Zone quarter-finalists have won the AFC Champions League before, with Al-Ahli Saudi and Persepolis finishing runners-up in 2012 and 2018 respectively. Al-Ahli Saudi was also runner-up in the 1985-86 season of the Asian Club Championship.

Pakhtakor was semi-finalist in 2003 and 2004 while Al-Nassr, runner-up in the 1995 Asian Club Championship, will be appearing in its second successive AFC Champions League quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals
Fixtures

Al-Nassr (KSA) vs Al-Ahli Saudi FC (KSA)
Wednesday 16:40 (UTC +3)

Persepolis FC (IRN) vs Pakhtakor (UZB)
Wednesday 20:45 (UTC +3)

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