Sepahan fight back to beat Pakhtakor [VIDEO]

AFC - The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Sepahan FC came back from a 1-0 first half deficit to beat Uzbek Super League champions Pakhtakor FC 3-1 in Matchday One of Group D in the AFC Champions League™ 2022 on Thursday.

Dragan Ceran gave Pakhtakor the lead in the 28th minute, only for Shahriyar Moghanlou to score back-to-back goals in the second half, coupled with Mohammad Reza Hosseini's effort to secure an opening day win.

The first 20 minutes saw both sides battle it out for control as they sought to find their feet, with the closest either of them came to a sight of goal ending with the linesmen flagging Khojimat Erkinov and Sajjad Shahbazadeh offside.

Midway through the first half, Soroush Rafiei whipped in a corner straight at the head of Giorgi Gvelesiani, with the Georgian getting a point-blank header on goal that was somehow saved by Eldorbek Suyonov.

The first goal of the AFC Champions League 2022 edition was scored 28 minutes into the game by the Tashkent-based side through club captain Dragan Ceran. The explosive Khojiakbar Alijonov took the ball upfield down the right, firing in a low cross towards the area that was intelligently flicked by Erkinov into Ceran’s path, the latter making no mistake from close range to make it 1-0.

Minutes before the break, Suyonov pulled off an incredible save from Mohammed Reza Hosseini, who had a straight run at the keeper after being teed up by Shahriyar Moghanlou, but the former’s shot was straight at the Uzbek keeper.

Just after the break, Moghanlou picked up where he left off in the AFC Champions League 2021 edition, when he elegantly tapped in the equaliser for the Isfahan-based side following a brilliantly placed cross from a corner by Farshad Ahmedzadeh, with Suyonov having little next to nothing to do as the ball flew past him to restore parity at 1-1.

With 55 minutes on the clock, Moghanlou took his team ahead from yet another set piece situation that involved Ahmedzadeh, who looped the ball into the area for the marginally onside Mohammed Nejad Mehdi, who headed the ball down into Moghanlou’s path leaving him to tap-in past Suyonov to make the score 2-1.

Hosseini wrapped up the win with Sepahan’s third goal with 70 minutes on the clock, but credit goes to Danial Esmaelifar who took on no less than three players en route to flicking the ball with just the right weight for Hosseini to fire past Suyonov.

Ceran hit the bar in the closing stages, and talismanic winger Sardor Rashidov was brought on to steady the ship but the damage was already done as Sepahan picked up their first three points to top Group D.

On Sunday, Pakhtakor face group hosts Al Taawoun FC while Moharram Navidkia’s men face Qatar’s Al Duhail.