Pakhtakor’s defender Egor Krimets reacts during the AFC Champions League Round of 16 match between Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and Iran’s Esteghlal, at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday.
Doha: Uzbekistan football giants Pakhtakor FC will be eyeing a place in the AFC Champions League semi-finals when they take on Iranian side Persepolis in the last-eight clash today. The mouth-watering quarter-finals will take place at 2022 FIFA World Cup venue Education City Stadium.
Pakhtakor FC last played the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League way back in 2003 and 2004. Long-serving club captain Egor Krimets said his team is keen to make the most of today’s opportunity for a place in the semi-finals of the region’s premier club tournament.
“The quarter-final is a very important match, we do not know when will our next chance to be in this stage again come, so this is our chance,” said Krimets who has been at the club since 2011.
“We know Persepolis are good in set-pieces, so it is important to be cautious with them. Our aim is not to give them such chances to score goals, so we will try not to commit many fouls near our penalty box,” the 28-year-old added.
Krimets said he looks forward to playing along side fellow Uzbekistan international veteran Anzur Ismailov.
“Ismailov and I played in the national team together for so long and he joined us at Pakhtakor this year, so our understanding is important, especially in such a difficult game,” Krimets said.
“But against Persepolis, we are not only being tested in our defensive solidity, but also in team character, how we can play in attack and build up against such a strong team,” he added.
The 12-time Uzbek champions, who reached made a quarter-final appearance in 2009, topped Group B of the 2020 AFC Champions League with an unbeaten record and only one goal conceded following the annulment of Al Hilal SFC’s results.
Persepolis, on the other hand, are in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals for the third time in four years, having reached the semi-finals in 2017 then the final in 2018, losing to Al Hilal SFC and Kashima Antlers respectively. Today’s game comes a day before the fifth anniversary of the death of former Persepolis captain Hadi Norouzi. The attacking midfielder spent seven years at the club and had just been named captain when he passed away after a heart attack on October 1, 2015. Head coach Yahya Golmohammadi, himself a former Persepolis player, wants his players to win the quarter-final tie in memory of Norouzi.
“First of all, I would like to wish a quick recovery to Pakhtakor head coach Shota Arveladze,” said Golmohammadi on his opposite number who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
“Our thoughts are with the family of Norouzi on the memory of his passing. The players want to put in a fight tomorrow and dedicate the win to his soul.”
“We worked really hard to reach this stage, we faced Al Sadd who are one of the best teams in the competition and it was an exhausting game. But we are well motivated and in good spirits. Pakhtakor had one more day to rest and they will be coming at us like machines. We will need to consume more energy and fight in this game, but hopefully we can win and reach the next stage.”
“Pakhtakor are an organized well-disciplined team and we will have to play with more energy against them,” he added.
“It will not be an easy match for us for sure but we are determined to fight for our place in the semis. There will always be ups and downs and you will likely score an early goal and concede and early goal too but I think our players have already experienced these parts of football and can fight back,” the former Iran defender said.
“Persepolis players will never get tired of winning and our fans send us their positive energy and support us from distance. We hope we can make our fans happy,” Golmohammadi concluded. Persepolis have never beaten Pakhtakor in three previous encounters in the AFC Champions League.
The Uzbeks won 1-0 in the group stage of the 2002-03 edition, pipping Persepolis to the top of Group D thanks to that win.
In 2019, they were again pitted together in Group D and played out a 1-1 draw at Azadi Stadium before Pakhtakor won 1-0 in Tashkent
