Adelaide United will need to score in Uzbekistan if they are to get into the AFC Champions League semi-finals. Fact.
Date: Thursday, October 4
Kick-off: 12am AEST
Venue: Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent
Head-to-head
Played: 5, Adelaide 2 Bunyodkor 1, Draws 2
History:
Adelaide have travelled to the Uzbek capital on two occasions to face Bunyodkor, splitting the results with the home side. They won the most recent battle at the ground 2-1 with Nigel Boogaard and Antony Golec getting on the scoresheet for the visitors.
The sides drew 2-2 in the first leg of their current quarter-final clash, with Adelaide leading 2-0 early before Bunyodkor fought back after the Reds were reduced to 10 men late in the first half.
Form:
Past five matches:
Adelaide: DWWDW
Bunyodkor: WWDLW
Adelaide have been buried deep in their preparations for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season, and have not had a competitive clash since the first-leg draw. It remains to be seen whether the break will be have a positive or negative influence on John Kosmina’s men.
Bunyodkor have strung together back-to-back wins in the Uzbekistan domestic league, scoring four goals in the process since their comeback draw against Adelaide last month. The second victory came with 10 men away to Metalourg, and despite leading 1-0 when they copped the dismissal, Bunyodkor rallied to score twice through Anvarjon Soliev before conceding late to ease to a 3-1 win on Thursday. The nature of the victory could give the Uzbeks plenty of confidence.
Match Committee:
Jon McKain is set to replace the suspended Nigel Boogaard for the second leg, after he missed the first leg due to a knee injury. Boogaard was suspended following his red card in the first leg at Hindmarsh Stadium. McKain will partner Iain Fyfe in the centre of defence in what is likely to be the only change to Adelaide’s starting XI.
Danger men:
Iain Ramsay – the livewire forward got Adelaide off to a dream start in the first leg, and won’t be afforded as much time and space as he was to score this time around.
Shavkat Salomon – scored an opportunists goal to equalise in first leg. Set up what would have been the winner had his team-mate converted late. Adelaide would want to have a tighter marker on him this time around – and expect there to be should they keep 11 men on the pitch.
At the end of the day…
Adelaide United will need to score in Uzbekistan if they are to get into the AFC Champions League semi-finals. Fact.
After their flying start to the first leg at Hindmarsh Stadium saw them to a 2-0 lead, Adelaide fell apart after Boogaard was sent off.
The numerical advantage allowed the Uzbek club back into the contest, and they made the most of it, taking the momentum into their home second leg in Tashkent.
A scoreless or 1-1 draw at Bunyodkor Stadium would see Mirjalol Qosimov’s men through to the final four in the continental competition on away goals, while a repeat result from the first leg would see extra-time needed to split the sides.
A win or a higher-scoring draw is what the travelling Reds requires to progress, but if they can maintain the attack that saw them destroy Bunyodkor early in the first leg – and keep 11 men on the park – they are a good a chance as any to reach the semi-final stages.
Adelaide have won before at the ground, and their lack of competitive football surrounding the fixture may actually ensure they are still fresh when they eventually arrive in Uzbekistan.