Three victories saw Uzbekistan finishing top with the 2012 champions to face the Group B runners-up in the quarter-finals. Two-time winners Saudi Arabia will play the Group B pole sitters.
Head coach Mario da Silva gave starts to Abdulaziz Asiri and Wafi Al Aklubi in the only two changes to the Saudi Arabia side that defeated China PR on Sunday while Uzbekistan’s Islombek Ismoilov rested five players who had played every single minute of their earlier two matches.
The first 20 minutes was an even affair between the two sides who had already secured their knockout stage spots, with both gauging each other’s strengths without conceding an opening.
Midway through the first half, Uzbekistan stepped up a gear with a couple of attempts from midfielder Mukhammad Khabibullaev – first a volley that was straight at Al Aklubi before sending an effort sailing over the bar after cutting in from the left.
Having been kept relatively quiet for much of the first half, Saudi Arabia very nearly found the breakthrough in the 40th minute when Abdulhadi Matari exquisitely took down Nasser Al Fihani’s long pass but saw his shot saved by Ibrokhim Shokirov.
GROUP A: SAUDI ARABIA V UZBEKISTAN
Saudi Arabia made a fast start to the second half, Abdulrahman Sufyani winning a penalty in the 48th minute but crashed his spot-kick against the bar while Salem Abdullah had the ball in Uzbekistan’s net a minute later only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Having been let off, Uzbekistan got a chance of their own from 12 yards in the 57th minute after Jamshidbek Rustamov was clipped inside the box by Saeed Al Dossari, with the former slamming his spot-kick past Al Aklubi.
The Central Asian side doubled their lead six minutes later, benefiting from Saudi Arabia keeping a high line with incisive one touch passing from Faridjon Abdullaev to Khabibullaev, whose cross to the centre was swept home by Asilbek Aliev.
Rustamov’s majestic volleyed goal in the 70th minute put the icing on the cake on an impressive Uzbekistan performance as they headed into their seventh consecutive knockout stage appearance looking like title contenders.
