Al-Ittihad Secures First Win in 'Elite Asian Champions' Against Neftchi

Al-Ittihad secured their first victory in the AFC Champions League Elite football competition, overturning a one-goal deficit against Uzbek hosts Neftchi to win 2-1 on Monday at the Istiqlal Stadium in Fergana, in the opening match of the third round of the group stage.

Neftchi took the lead through Jamshid Iskandarov’s 17th-minute penalty, and Al-Ittihad responded with goals from Algerian Houssem Aouar (34th minute) and Moroccan Youssef En-Nesyri (90+1).

With this result, Al-Ittihad moved up to four points, temporarily sitting seventh, while Neftchi remained on three points in ninth place.

Al-Ittihad pushed forward from the start of the first half in search of an early goal, but Neftchi earned a penalty, which Iskandarov converted successfully, firing a powerful shot to the left of Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajković (17). Al-Ittihad had a chance to equalize, but Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum’s effort sailed over the crossbar (23).

From a well-organized attack, Al-Ittihad managed to level the score when Aouar rose to meet a cross and headed the ball past Uzbek goalkeeper Botirali Ergashev to the right (34). The Uzbek goalkeeper saved his side from conceding again by parrying a powerful shot from Nigerian forward George Ilenikhna, neutralizing the threat (41). In stoppage time, Ilenikhna fired a strong shot that went just wide of the post.

In the second half, both teams exchanged attacks. Neftchi nearly regained the lead, but the crossbar and then the post denied Brazilian forward Michel dos Santos, before Rajković collected the rebound (58). The post struck again against the home side when it turned away a shot from Ivorian midfielder Koffi Kouao (67).

Al-Ittihad had a chance to take the lead, but Ergashev saved Mohammed Al-Shanqiti’s shot and pushed it into a corner (72). Another opportunity arose for Al-Ittihad when Mokhtar Ali’s powerful shot hit a defender and spun out for a corner (84).

In stoppage time, Al-Ittihad scored the decisive goal as En-Nesyri fired a powerful direct free-kick that settled to the right of Ergashev.