Iranian club Zob Ahan upset Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Uzbek giants Bunyodkor for the second straight week to move to the top of Group B in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.
After a 3-0 win at home last week, Zob Ahan scored a 1-0 win in Tashkent to improve to 10 points from four matches while Bunydkor slipped to third place in the group with six points.
Mohammad Khalatbari scored the only goal from close range after goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov inexplicably dropped the ball in the first half.
Bunyodkor finished with 10 men after Brazilian Rivaldo was red carded for a high challenge on Mohammad Mansouri.
LUCRATIVE CONTRACT
Scolari, who guided Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title and coached Portugal and Premier League giants Chelsea before taking a lucrative contract in Uzbekistan, said the whole Bunyodkor team had to take responsibility for the loss.
“On the goal that we conceded, I could not just accuse our goalkeeper,” Scolari was quoted as saying on the Asian Football Confederation’s Web site. “All the players were involved.”
“We had more chances to score but we made mistakes. Now we have to win both matches to continue in the tournament,” he said.
Two-time Asian champions Al Ittihad moved into second place in Group B with a 4-0 win over last-place Al Wahda giving the Saudi club seven points.
Iran’s Mes Kerman had a 3-1 win over Qatari club Al Sadd in Group D.
Eder Luciano, Ali Samareh and Paulo Zaltron scored for the Iranian side after Al Sadd had taken an early lead through Khalfan al-Khalfan.
The result allowed Al Hilal to take control of the group after South Korean Lee Young-pyo scored in injury time to seal a 3-2 win at Al Ahli. Al Hilal have 10 points, four clear of both Al Sadd and Mes.
INTERNATIONAL
The Saudi team had taken a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes through Yasser al-Qahtani and Swedish international midfielder Christian Vilhelmsson, Al Ahli pulling two back through Ahmed Aljunaibi and Clederson before Lee struck.
Earlier Kashima Antlers beat Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura 3-1 in Jakarta to move to 12 points with two games remaining in Group F while South Korean club Jeonbuk Motors, the 2006 champions, also ensured they’ll progress from the group with international striker Lee Dong-gook’s second-half free kick giving them victory of Changchun.
In Group H, Sanfrecce Hiroshima ended Adelaide United’s three-match winning streak when Hisatao Sato scored just before half-time to help the Japanese club to a 1-0 victory, their first of the tournament.
Defending champions Pohang Steelers had a 2-1 away win over Chinese side Shandong Luneng.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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