Emilian Karas spoke about the tactical decision that changed the fate of the match against Al Qadsiah

Following the intense 1:1 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah club in the 2nd round of the AFC Champions League Elite, Pakhtakor Tashkent head coach Emilian Karas shared his thoughts on the match.

Although both teams settled for a draw in Tashkent, the "Lions" coach particularly highlighted the team's willpower until the end, the effectiveness of tactical changes, and the chances created to snatch a victory.

The VAR-disallowed goal and a world-class opponent

Emilian Karas touched upon the course of the match and the dangerous attacks from the Saudi side:

• Fierce struggle and missed opportunities: "It was a good and fiercely contested game on the pitch. Both teams created plenty of chances, and even more goals could have been scored in the match," the coach emphasized;

• The threat of Saudi stars: "We warned the guys that we needed to be wary of the opponent's rapid counterattacks, but nevertheless, the visitors, who possess world-class attacking players, created several dangerous situations";

• The painful moment in the first half: "Pakhtakor was by no means inferior to the opponent in terms of play. Although our goal scored in the first half was disallowed through the VAR system, the guys did not give up."

The tactical change that saved the match and the Sobirkhodjaev factor

The rotations made in the second half paid off at the end of the clash:

• The right choice in attack: In the second half, the attacking line acted much more precisely and correctly. As a result, the balance was restored late in the match, and even several favorable opportunities were created to score the winning goal;

• Sobirkhodjaev being deployed as a central defender: "Based on the situation in the match, we resorted to tactical changes. Once Sardor Sobirkhodjaev took to the pitch in place of the central defender, we had an extra man in attack. This laid the groundwork for us to create pressure and score the necessary goal."

"We must maintain this spirit in this way"

The Pakhtakor manager noted the importance of maintaining this fighting spirit in the local championship as well:

• Passion and growth: "We always want to play at such a high level. However, the psychological state of the players is still different in domestic league matches. We must continue to give our all in training and matches, and play with passion. Only then will we achieve growth as a team";

• Final conclusion: "I believe we were able to play very boldly against a star-studded and strong opponent today."

For context, Pakhtakor has drawn against two Saudi giants (Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah) in the opening two rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite, continuing to accumulate important points in the West region.