TASHKENT: Zoran Marusic struck twice as PFC Nasaf of Uzbekistan fought back to defeat UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 2-1 in their AFC Champions League TwoS 2024/25 Group D tie on Wednesday.

Mateus Lima put the visitors ahead in the first half but Marusic came up with a late brace to turn the game around and help Nasaf to their first win in the group.

It was Shabab Al Ahly who shaded the opening minutes with Eid Khamis’ sending his header wide despite being unmarked during a corner kick, then Harib Abdalla forced Abduvakhid Nematov to make a smart save to his left.

Nasaf awoke from their slumber and started to put Al Ahli under pressure with goalkeeper Hassan Hamza needing to claw away a curling strike from Oybek Bozorov in the 10th minute.

Al Ahli, however, went on to take the lead in the 19th minute with Mateus Lima showing an incredible burst of pace to run past Golib Gaybullaev, then waiting for Nematov to commit before dinking the ball over the advancing keeper.

Nasaf head coach Ruzikul Berdiev rang in t
he changes for the second half, making a triple substitution with Sharof Mukhitdinov, Shohjahon Sultonmurodov and Dilshod Komilov replacing Jambul Jighauri, Stefan Colovic and Igor Golban respectively.

The changes breathed new life into Nasaf’s attack with forward Zoran Marusic being involved more in the opening seven minutes of the second half than he did in the entirety of the first half.

Combating the Nasaf dominance, Al Ahli’s Paulo Sousa also made a triple change of his own that saw Yahya Al Ghassani, Rikelme and Breno Cascardo being sent on.

However, it was Nasaf’s perseverance which paid off in the 83rd minute, an unmarked Marusic thumping home a header from Bobir Abdixolikov’s corner kick delivery.

But the home side weren’t done as Marusic smashed home from close range in stoppage time after a superb cushioned header from Abdixolikov to give them the three points, raising their tally to 4 points on top of the group with Shabab Al Ahly second with 3 points.

Source: Emirates News Agency