FC Pakhtakor vs Esteghlal FC - What They Said
Late drama in Doha saw a big-name Qatari side exit but there were no such problems for the Tehran giants while another historic Asian side have made a long-awaited return to the knockout rounds. Here's what those involved had to say about it.
"I hope all of the Esteghlal fans are happy after this victory - this win was for them! We aim to keep on with this winning momentum for the rest of the tournament!"
Esteghlal star Mehdi Ghaedi dedicated a fine performance to the Tehran club's supporters after he registered a goal and an assist in the two-time Asian champions 3-0 win over Al Ahli Saudi FC. The victory secured Ghaedi's side a place in the Round of 16 where they will face Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.
"Buzzing to get my first goal for Al Taawoun and so proud of the boys to get this win and to get to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League for the first time in the club's history!"
Matchwinner Mitchell Duke couldn't have scored a more vital first goal for Saudi Arabia's Al Taawoun as the Australian striker's late header secured his side a place in the tournament's knockout stages for the first time.
"The defeat will give us a chance to correct the mistakes that we made. We will sit with the coach who definitely has several remarks from this match. We didn’t play with our regular performance and we must fix this in the next match."
Al Ahli Saudi captain Omar Al Soma knows that there is work to be done after the side signed off their group stage campaign with a 3-0 defeat to IR Iran's Esteghlal. An improved performance will be needed from the Jeddah club in the Round of 16.
“Shota was watching from his room and continues to be very involved. We spoke after the match about planning for the next game. Now that we are through to the Round of 16, the pressure is really on. Our qualification is good for Uzbek football and for us."
Having tested positive for COVID-19, Pakhtakor FC were without head coach Shota Arveladze in their Matchday Six win over Shahr Khodro, but assistant Pieter Huistra confirmed the Georgian's influence as the Uzbek side qualified for the Round of 16 for the first time since 2010.
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