AFC - Artur Gevorkyan’s brace gave Nasaf a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Tractorsazi Tabriz in Group D of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday and kept the Uzbek club’s hopes of qualifying for the Round of 16 alive while in turn eliminating the Iranians.

Both teams went into the game at the Yadegar Emam Stadium knowing that defeat could spell elimination for them, and it was the hosts who went in front seven minutes after the interval through a wonderful curling free-kick from midfielder Mehdi Kiani.

But Nasaf came back strongly and levelled things up on the hour mark through Gevorkyan after an error by Tractorsazi keeper Hamed Lak, before the Turkmen striker’s corner in the 71st minute evaded everyone before finding the back of the net.

The Uzbeks will now go into their final group game at home to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli next month knowing that a win will guarantee their passage to the last 16 for the first time, while Tractorsazi will travel to the United Arab Emirates to face the group’s other Al Ahli after being eliminated at the group stage for the third successive year.

The Iranian side started strongly and were just inches away from taking the lead in the eighth minute when forward Mehrdad Bayrami slid in at the back post to connect with midfielder Mohammad Pourrahmatollah’s corner but was unfortunate to see his effort rebound back off the post.

Tractorsazi were then twice more denied by the woodwork in the opening period, first when midfielder Saman Narimanjahan’s effort from outside the box deflected off defender Maksud Karimov before clipping the bar on the way over, and then when Habib Gordani’s corner from the left was powerfully headed onto the post by defender Hani Hashemi.

The home side’s pressure continued after the interval and they took the lead in the 52nd minute through a superb curling free-kick from Kiani from 25 yards out that left Nasaf keeper Eldorbek Suyunov rooted to the spot.

But going a goal down seemed to spur the visitors on and they then equalised in the 59th minute when last season’s top scorer in the Uzbek league Gervorkyan headed in from close range after goalkeeper Lak fumbled Kiani’s long-range effort straight into his path.

And Nasaf then went in front with 20 minutes left on the clock when Gervorkyan scored directly from a corner kick from the left.

Tractorsazi desperately sought to level things up but it was the visitors who should have wrapped things up in the last minute when forward Farrukh Sayfiev latched onto a long ball but saw his effort well saved by goalkeeper Lak.

And then in the dying seconds the hosts almost grabbed an equaliser when substitute Andranik Teymourian dinked the ball in from the right to Brazilian substitute Edinho, whose header was superbly saved by Suyunov.