Navbahor edge past Nasaf with late own goal
Navbahor took three points from their meeting with Nasaf in the Superliga, winning 1:0 on Thursday. The result came from a 45+2 minute own goal by G. Gaybullaev, which split the sides before the interval. And here's the thing — you often see these tighter games decided by a single moment rather than sustained pressure.The visitors controlled possession for large stretches and had more attacks overall, but Navbahor made their chances count. To be fair, Nasaf had their opportunities too, yet their finishing lacked the edge needed against a side that held firm.
S. Mirsaidov saw red in the 53 minute, which shifted the balance after half-time. The dismissal came after a period of careful attacking from both sides, and it left Nasaf chasing the game with ten men. By then, the hosts had already built enough momentum to see things through.
Three substitutions happened at the break — B. Abdikholikov, S. Bakhromov, and B. Teidi all came on for Navbahor. Later, V. Ilic and G. Gaybullaev joined the action in the 57 minute, giving the hosts fresh legs as the visitors searched for an equaliser.
The statistics tell a story of control without conversion. Nasaf registered 82 attacks against 75 from Navbahor, but only managed one shot on target compared to three for the hosts. Possession sat at 48 per cent for the visitors, yet the goal came from a defensive error rather than sustained pressure.
With the win, Navbahor moved to 38 points, still in third place after 20 games. Their recent form showed five matches without defeat, including victories over Surchon and Khorezm. Nasaf, meanwhile, remain seventh with 28 points and their run of unbeaten matches came to an end.
There were eight yellow cards between the sides — one for Navbahor, four for Nasaf, plus three others shared between the players. The game could have opened up further, but both sides grew cautious as the minutes ran down. The result leaves the hosts holding their position in the table.