What did Pedro Moreira say after the historic win over Al Hilal?

After the match "Pakhtakor" - "Al Hilal" (1:0) in the quarter-finals of the Elite ACL, the head coach of the "Lions" Pedro Moreira and midfielder Abdurauf Buriev attended a press conference.

"As I said yesterday, it was a difficult match. We played a well-organized game today against a very strong team. Al Hilal were expected to have more possession than us. Yesterday they were wondering if we would play defensive football. You know what we were aiming for today. We focused on organizing the game properly. Our players played very well today. We focused more on defense and tried to keep the opponent in the empty zones. We played a fantastic first 30 minutes. Now we have the match in Riyadh. The away match will definitely be even more difficult than today. I would like to thank the players and I spoke to them in the dressing room. We will start preparing for the next match," said Pedro Moreira.

"I would like to thank the fans who supported us despite the cold weather. The opponent was one of the strongest teams in Asia. We achieved this result thanks to the tactics of our head coach, but the fight is not over yet. Now we need to prepare for the next match," Abdurauf Buriev said about today's match.

- Congratulations on today's victory. Your team has another week to prepare for the next match. What do you think about the away match? Al Hilal will be in a comfortable situation in Riyadh. What else can you change based on today's match?

- First, let's be happy with today's victory (laughs). Then we will think about the away match. Today, my players did not allow the opponent to score goals with their own efforts. Such a field may have created inconvenience for the opponent, but we also played football on the same field. We created 3-4 good chances. Our opponent had more chances than us, but they couldn't score today. That's why I'm positive about the current state of my team. The away game will be difficult. A stadium full of big fans and a completely different opponent. I'm grateful to our fans who didn't leave us alone in this weather. It's great to be at games in Tashkent, because there's a "fantastic" atmosphere here.

- If you talk about Brian Riascos' condition...
- We substituted Riascos based on the game. He might have been tired in some situations or maybe he didn't press well in some situations. This was a decision made based on the situation in the game.

- The question about Urinbayev at the pre-match press conference yesterday caused a lot of discussion on social media. Can we see Urinbayev on the field in the next matches?

- We should talk about the players on the field, in my opinion. They deserve it. I choose the best players on the field and the ones who are most worthy of a place in the starting lineup at the moment. This is my decision. I worked with Urinbayev for only two days. It would be unfair to the other players to put a player who has been with the team for such a short time on the field. I repeat once again, Urinbayev must fight for his place and he is capable of proving everything. For me, there is nothing easier than replacing players, but we need to turn to those who fit the team's game more often. Sobirkhodzhaev did not play today, but Buriev successfully took his place. Abdurauf played very well. I talked about this with all the players. For example, Buriev, who was sitting next to me, and we agreed on this on the first day. Each player must fight for his place.

A question to Abdurauf Buriev
- Abdurauf, in what aspect of today's match did Pakhtakor have the upper hand over the opponent?

- We were not behind the opponent throughout the entire match, except for the last 5-10 minutes. In the last minutes, it may have seemed like we were playing to keep the score. At the end of the match, the opponent put pressure. They attacked the forwards with long passes and passes from the wings. We almost did not give them any chances, and I think that is why we achieved a good result.

- You said that Pakhtakor is striving to reach its best level of play. When do you think Pakhtakor will be in its best form? Also, if you could evaluate the game your team showed today. For example, how would you rate today's match on a ten-point rating system.

- Today's match was only our third official match. We developed a strategy with the coaching staff. We need to implement our ideas. I am satisfied with the game we are currently playing. If we think about the first three matches, my impressions are positive. Today we did not play against an ordinary team. We did not give the opponent a chance in the first minutes. We really wanted to reach this stage. As you know, we will not participate in the AFC Champions League next season. Our goal is to return to this competition as soon as possible.

Uzbek football is a developing country. When I received an offer from Pakhtakor, I studied your country's football. There are many young and talented players in Uzbekistan. I have said this before. I wish your national team a place in the World Cup. I want the fruits of my labor to benefit Uzbek football. I will try to make my small contribution to the Uzbekistan national team's qualification for the World Cup, and if I can fulfill this task, I will be happy. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”