Al Ain beat FC Bunyodkor to reach the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage

Bunyodkor had reached the play-off stage after defeating Iraq’s Al Zawraa 4-1 in the Preliminary Round 2 a week earlier. Meanwhile, Al Ain were placed directly in this stage, having finished fourth in the 2018-19 UAE Pro League.

Kodjo Laba showed his intent early on. The Togolese forward received the ball with his back to goal, supplied it to Omar Yaseen and made a clever run to latch onto the latter’s through pass with only the Bunyodkor goalkeeper to beat; a task Laba was unable to accomplish as Abdumavlon Abduljalilov produced a save low to his right.

Bunyodkor’s sole big chance of a largely cagey first half came in the 38th minute through Jasurbek Jaloliddinov, who collected Murod Kholmukhammedov’s squared pass from a free-kick and drilled low from long range, grazing the side netting of Khalid Eisa’s goal.

The home crowd thought their team had taken the lead in the 69th minute when Jamal Maroof rose unmarked to head Salem Abdullah’s cross from the left flank, but the substitute’s headed effort passed narrowly wide off the upright.

Just a minute later, Al Ain came even closer to breaking the deadlock as Shiotani found space inside the Uzbek penalty box and met Ahmed Barman’s out-swinging corner first-time on the half-volley, forcing a fine reflex save out of goalkeeper Abduljalilov.

The Emiratis’ goal finally arrived with 12 minutes to go from the unlikeliest of sources. Right-back Juma went on an adventurous run through the flank, receiving Mohammed Abdulrahman’s return pass inside the Bunyodkor box, before slotting coolly with his left into the bottom corner.

With the result, Al Ain join Islamic Republic of Iran’s Sepahan, Qatar’s Al Sadd and Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia in Group D of the 2020 AFC Champions League. Bunyodkor, meanwhile, miss out on a place in the group stage for the third year in a row.