Today, the 3rd round of the Uzbekistan Cup group stage will kick off. The last round matches will start on May 13 and conclude on May 21. Eight matches are scheduled for May 13-14, and another eight matches are planned for May 20 and 21.
There is undoubtedly great interest in today's match between "Pakhtakor" and "Nasaf." Whether they participate in the championship and Cup matches, the names alone are a big poster!
Specifically, on May 13, today "Pakhtakor" will take the field against "Nasaf" at the "Jar" stadium in the 3rd round of the Uzbekistan Cup.
The teams have faced each other a total of 18 times in the Uzbekistan Cup. In 7 of those matches, the "Lions" emerged victorious, while 5 matches ended in a draw, and the opponent won 6 matches.
The "Pakhtakor" team has scored 28 goals while conceding 21. In the Cup playoffs, "Pakhtakor" advanced to the next stage in 5 out of 8 matches, while "Nasaf" did so in 3 matches. Three matches were observed in the final game, with the "Lions" winning two of them and the opponent winning one.
"Pakhtakor" is no longer managed by Portuguese Pedru Moreyra. Kamoliddin Tojiyev has taken on the role of interim head coach since the last round. Before that, he was managing the "Pakhtakor" U19 team. Tojiyev organized a goal show with the main team against "Bukhoro," resulting in a 6:0 victory over the opponent. Now it's time for the match against "Nasaf," and Tojiyev is facing a serious test.
In Group "N," the "Lions" are currently leading with 6 points from two matches. OKMK and "Nasaf" each have 3 points, while "Navoi FA" has no points. You may know that in the last round, "Nasaf" lost to OKMK with a score of 3:2. At that time, they had a 2:0 lead but ended up conceding 3 goals. "Pakhtakor" won against OKMK in the first round with a score of 2:1. In the last round, they scored 9 unanswered goals against the academy players in Navoi.
"Nasaf," with 3 points, needs only a victory to advance to the next stage. It seems that "Pakhtakor" has almost resolved the issue of advancing to the next stage? However, in such a principled match, the "Lions" certainly do not want to lose. A draw would also satisfy them. No one doubts that OKMK will win against "Navoi FA."
According to the regulations, if "Pakhtakor," "Nasaf," and OKMK end up with equal points, the results of their mutual matches will be considered first. Then, the points earned in those matches and the goal difference will be taken into account. In short, if all three clubs have 6 points, it will turn into mathematical calculations. "Pakhtakor" will fight for a positive result to avoid such a complicated situation.
Roziqul Berdiev's team was eliminated from the group last year. To prevent "Nasaf" from being eliminated from the group for the second consecutive year, Berdiev will fight for a positive result in any case with his team. Moreover, "Nasaf" captain Dragan Cheran will take the field against his former club today. Perhaps he has something to say to the "Lions"…
The match between "Pakhtakor" and "Nasaf" will start on May 13, Tuesday, at 19:00 at the "Jar" stadium
