Following the break caused by the World Cup, the Uzbek Super League continued at a high pace. The matches of the 13th round were intense and rich in goals: the total number of goals scored was 28, corresponding to an average of 3.5 goals per game.
Tournament Leaders Secured Victories
In this round, teams occupying the top positions in the standings, such as Neftechis, Pakhtakor, Bukhara, and OKMK, managed to secure another victory.
Neftechis Continues to Dominate
Neftechis, one of the main contenders for the championship this season, achieved a convincing victory over Sogdion with a score of 5:1. The goals in the match were scored by Petr Michin in the 22nd minute, followed by Islom Ismoilov, Jamshid Iskandarov, Anvar G'ofurov, Stipe Perica (brace), and Ibrohimkhalil Yoldoshev. Jamshid Iskandarov was named the best player of the match with a rating of 8.3 points and is also the Super League's best assist provider with six passes. It is worth noting that Neftechis achieved this victory despite having made a comeback in the previous round after conceding a goal, demonstrating a desire to fight for the title.
Pakhtakor Won with Difficulty
Pakhtakor, which lost important ground in the 12th round, could not achieve an easy victory this time either. The Sherlar team defeated Khorazm at home with a score of 2:1. Although the visitors opened the scoring first, Sardor Sobirkhojaev managed to equalize, and Stefan Chinedu, who joined the team during the summer transfer window, scored the winning goal. Statistically, Pakhtakor outperformed its opponent in all indicators: 57% possession, 19 shots, and 3.82 expected goals (xG), which was the highest xG figure in the round.
Bukhara Maintains Strong Top Three
Bukhara defeated Bunyodkor at home with a score of 1:0. Alexander Khomyakov outperformed his opponent, registering 10 shots and 0.78 xG. The only goal was scored by Asadbek Zoraboyev. Bunyodkor suffered its third consecutive defeat in the Super League. The club's head coach Ilyos Zeytullaev commented on the difficult situation: 'The situation is still complicated. There are players who have not received salaries since December last year. Our president is trying to solve this problem. But almost nothing has changed since December.'
OKMK Does Not Blame Opponents
'Kokkon-1912', whose squad did not correspond to the bottom places, hosted OKMK and lost with a score of 1:4. OKMK dominated the match, having 59% possession, 21 shots (9 accurate), and 1.65 xG. Goals were scored by Siavash Haknazarov, Asad Sobirjonov (brace), and Nodirbek Abdurazzokov. One of the most beautiful goals of the round was scored by Asad Sobirjonov from the penalty area with the outside of his foot. Furthermore, the highest tempo in the round was recorded by OKMK player Aziz Holmurodov—35.05 km/h. The coach of Kokkon-1912, Andrey Shipilov, did not hide his dissatisfaction after the defeat: 'You cannot treat your beloved profession like this. We entered the second half and... I am ashamed. When the team loses, all coaches are blamed. But here, it is not just the coach's fault.'
Navbahor Does Not Escape Crisis
Navbahor, which continues its streak of failures, drew with Qizilqum 1:1 in this round. Despite the statistical advantage—77% possession, 11 shots—the team could not secure a victory. Temur Kapadze could not feel the taste of victory in five consecutive matches. Regardless of the appearance of new players, such as Jasur Jaloliddinov and Joel Kojo, the score did not change. Dilshod Komilov's actions attracted special attention: the left-back scored a goal and regularly participated in attacks, but his efforts were not enough for a win. Now Navbahor awaits an important match against Neftechis in the valley derby.
Most Exciting Match of the Round
The most exciting match of the 13th round was the encounter between Lokomotiv and Andijan, which ended 3:3. The 'Railmen' initially took the lead thanks to goals from Sardor Mirzaev and Abdulloh Yoldashev, increasing the lead to two goals. However, Dragan Cheran and Alexander Andronikashvili equalized the score. Lokomotiv took the lead again, but young Andijan forward Khamidullo Karimov scored his debut goal in the Super League, bringing the score to 3:3. Karimov previously scored in the youth championship and is currently the top scorer of the U-21 championship with 13 goals.
Draw in the 'Voha Derby'
'Mashal' and 'Nasaf' finished their 'Voha Derby' in a 1:1 draw. First, Strakhinya Boshyak put the hosts ahead, but later Sardor Bahramov equalized. Nasaf dominated throughout the match, showing 78% possession, 29 shots, and 13 accurate shots. These possession and shot statistics were the highest in the round. Nevertheless, the team of Rozikul Berdiev could not score the winning goal. At the same time, Mashal, under the guidance of Sergei Lushan, managed to earn four points in two games.
Dinamo Achieved a Comeback Victory
Dinamo won against Surkhon 2:1, despite playing with ten men. This match attracted the largest number of spectators in the round—5,227 fans in the stadium. Anvar Khojimirzaev scored twice for Samarkand. Surkhon goalkeeper Otabek Boymurodov made a serious mistake on the second goal. Statistically, Surkhon outperformed its opponent, showing 71% possession, 16 shots (7 accurate). Surkhon also demonstrated the highest rate of accurate passes in the 13th round.
League Table After Round 13
At the beginning of the season, it was predicted that Neftechis and Pakhtakor would be the main contenders for the championship. After the 13th round, these two clubs significantly sharpened their positions. Neftechis confidently occupies the leading position, having earned 34 points with 11 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Pakhtakor is in second place with 30 points, and Bukhara closes out the strong top three with 23 points. The difference between fourth place (OKMK, 22 points), fifth (Navbahor, 21 points), sixth (Lokomotiv, 19 points), and seventh (Bunyodkor, 19 points) is very small. The bottom echelon of the table is led by Mashal with 4 points.
