A win in this fixture could be of vital importance to the Reds’ chances.
Neither side comes into this match with any great form under their belt. With Bunyodkor-s domestic season yet to get underway they have geared up for this tournament with friendlies against some European clubs.
The Reds meanwhile have been struggling through the A-League where they have lost their last three matches to end their finals hopes for the season.
Date: Tuesday, March 6
Kick-off: 11pm AEDT, 5pm (local)
Venue: Majmuasi Stadium
Head-to-head
Played 2: Wins: Bunyodkor 1, Adelaide 1
Previous encounter
Bunyodkor 1, Adelaide 0, October 22, 2008
History:
These two sides met back in the semi-finals in 2008 when Adelaide won through 3-1 on aggregate. The Reds won the first leg at Hindmarsh Stadium 3-0 thanks to second half goals from Diego, Fabian Barbiero and Cristiano.
The Uzbeks had it all to do in the second leg and despite pressuring the Adelaide goal for long periods could only manage a 1-0 win thanks to a 79th minute goal from Bahodir Pardayev.
Form:
Past five matches:
Bunyodkor: LLWDL
Adelaide: WWLLL
Match Committee:
No major injury concerns for the hosts, who have Socceroos defender David Carney in their squad after he signed a one-year deal with the club last month. Adelaide have left defender Cassio at home with questions over his eligibility after his red card in the Reds- last ACL campaign. Sergio van Dijk and Francisco Usucar both have issues over their fitness but are expected to be in the squad.
Danger men:
Anvarjon Soliev – Soliev is no stranger to this competition having made the semi-finals on three different occasions with both Bunyodkor and his previous club Pakhator Tashkent. The impressive striker is a member of the Uzbek national team and is a proven goal-scorer at all levels.
Sergio van Dijk – Van Dijk is struggling to be fit but the Reds will be desperate to get him on the field. While his A-League form has been a bit patchy of late, the wannabe Indonesian striker thrives on this tournament and has a habit of grabbing important goals. If the Reds are to go on a run in this tournament, they will need van Dijk in form.
At the end of the day…
With the other two side’s in this group – Pohang Steelers and Gamba Osaka – favoured to advance, a win in this fixture could be of vital importance. While a trip to Tashkent at this time of the year is not ideal for Adelaide, at least some of the squad have the experience of playing there before.
Hard to get a gauge on just what Bunyodkor will throw up given they haven-t played any competitive matches in some time but they have quality right throughout their squad. Adelaide-s form will hardly give their fans any great confidence but they endured a similar difficult domestic season in 2008 before embarking on their memorable run to the final of this tournament.
It-s far too early – and probably extremely optimistic – to suggest they can achieve something similar this time around but they also won-t be burdened by heavy expectations. If this match was played in the middle of the Uzbekistan club season you would lean heavily towards the home side but it-s not, which means the Reds could come away from Tashkent with at least a point.
