Uzbekistan's reigning champion, Neftchi Fergana, faced Iran's Tractor club in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage. The encounter took place at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, the capital of Oman, concluding in a tense and dramatic 2-2 draw.

The match saw significant pressure from the Uzbek side throughout regular time. Stipe Perica broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, putting Neftchi ahead. The task for the visitors supposedly became easier when Tractor defender Farshad Farajji was shown a straight red card in the 61st minute for a rough challenge, leaving the Iranian side with ten men.

Despite being a man down, the Iranian team fought back resiliently. Tomislav Strkalj equalized in the 82nd minute. Deep into stoppage time, in the 90+4th minute, Vladimir Jovovic struck a long-range effort that seemingly secured a hard-fought victory for Neftchi. However, defensive lapses allowed the Iranian side to level the score once again in the dying seconds of the game.

Following this outcome, the Fergana club sits in 10th place in the group standings with 4 points. Neftchi is scheduled to play its next tournament fixture on November 23 at home against Saudi Arabia's powerhouse Al-Hilal.

Source: kun.uz