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Reigning continental champions Al Ain continue to cling on to their hopes of a place in the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite after Leonardo Jardim’s side earned a 1-1 draw with Pakhtakor despite playing the final 35 minutes in Tashkent with 10 men.
Soufiane Rahimi struck in the 49th minute to cancel out Otabek Jurakuziyev’s sixth minute opener before Yahia Nader was sent off for a dangerous tackle in the 55th minute to leave the holders short-handed.
The draw moves Al Ain onto two points and leaves the champions three adrift of eighth-placed Esteghlal in the west league standings with two matches remaining while Pakhtakor are one point further ahead of the side from the United Arab Emirates.
