Gazalkent saw off Kokand-1912 2:1 in the Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday, a result that extends their recent struggles while ending the visitors' unbeaten run. The hosts had been drawing and losing in five straight matches before this, and the victory barely masks the unease around their form. To be fair, the game never looked settled.
Sadirdjanov opened the scoring in the seventh minute, a simple finish that gave Gazalkent early comfort. The visitors responded with a yellow card for Khusanov in the seventeenth, then made a double change at the break, bringing on Gvazava for Khusanov. By then, the pattern was clear: Kokand-1912 pressing, Gazalkent sitting deeper.
The second half shifted direction. Tadjiev equalised for the visitors in the seventy-fifth minute, and suddenly the match was alive. Gazalkent responded with two substitutions in quick succession, Khakimov and Korshunov coming on, but it was Nimely who turned the game in the eighty-first minute, a moment that caught the home side out of position.
What followed was tense, though not particularly attractive. Giorgadze had a goal disallowed for offside in added time, a decision that left Kokand-1912 with nothing to show for their pressure. Sadirdjanov and Tadjiev were then substituted together in the eighty-second minute, perhaps a tactical pause rather than a sign of fatigue.
The result means Gazalkent remain in the competition, but the performance suggests they are not playing well. They have seen the game out before, but this was less about control and more about survival. Kokand-1912 showed they can trouble decent sides, even if they could not find the winner.
