Qizilqum hold off Bukhoro in five-goal thriller
Qizilqum defeated Bukhoro 3:2 in the Superliga regular season on Friday, overturning our forecast that had Bukhoro winning with 39 per cent confidence. The match went differently because of an early own goal and a late red card. To be fair, the visitors were sitting fourth in the table while the hosts were eleventh. The home side found a way to ground out the win despite the ranking difference.
The turning point came early when K. Mukhtorov scored an own goal in the 40th minute. J. Jigauri doubled the lead shortly after in the 52nd minute, and O. Jurakuziev made it three in the 64th. Bukhoro then felt the pressure, with S. Esanov pulling one back in the 75th minute before N. Kacharava added a late equaliser attempt in the 77th minute.
S. Ubaydullaev was brought on for the hosts in the 10th minute. Bukhoro introduced K. Ruziev and S. Jurabekov in the 71st minute, followed by B. Bozorov and R. Roziev two minutes later. Qizilqum swapped S. Turopov for O. Jurakuziev in the 79th minute. Late changes saw V. Rodic and S. Rakhmatullaev enter the pitch in the 88th minute. Discipline was tested, with D. Rahmatilloyev booked in the 59th minute and S. Rakhmatullaev cautioned in the 45+2 minute.
Statistics tell a story of control versus efficiency. Bukhoro enjoyed 54 per cent possession and launched 126 attacks, yet they registered only three shots on target. Qizilqum played with less possession at 46 per cent but landed six shots on target, converting them into goals. And here's the thing, the visitors struggled to find an answer after falling behind. The hosts accumulated two yellow cards, while the visitors remained clean.
The victory leaves Qizilqum on 26 points in eleventh place after twenty games. Bukhoro remain fourth with 34 points, but the momentum has shifted for now. It was a result decided by three or four moments rather than sustained dominance. By then, the visitors had run out of ideas to break down the home defence.