TEHRAN – Pakhtakor football team came from behind to force a 1-1 draw with Persepolis in their AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 tie on Monday.
Pakhtakor’s Dragan Ceran cancelled out Ali Alipour’s first minute opener as the side from Uzbekistan took a well deserved point from their rivals from Iran, Tehran Times reported.
Both sides were eager to bounce after having suffered defeats in their respective openers but it was Persepolis who got off to a flying start, taking the lead inside the opening minute. 
Vahid Amiri flicked Farshad Ahmadzadeh’s corner into the path of the unmarked Ali Alipour who rifled home the ball past a stunned Pakhtakor keeper Vladimir Nazarov and into the roof of the net.
In the 59th minute after Sabirkhodjaev’s dummy run from the edge of the box opened up space for Ceran to tuck home a curling equaliser.
Persepolis never regained the rhythm that had seen them taking the lead as Pakhtahor continued to look more dangerous with Pulatkhuzha Kholdorkhonov almost outmuscling Alexis in the 77th minute before Umar Adhamzoda’s dangerous ball across the face of goal was cleared away by Ayoub El Amloud. 
Pakhtakor travel to face Iraq’s Al Shorta next on October 21 while Persepolis are away to Qatar’s Al Sadd SC.