Gameweek 26 Review: Neftchi Leapfrogs Nasaf on Head-to-Head Advantage

With just four gameweeks remaining in the Uzbekistan Superleague, the title race intensifies as Neftchi overtakes Nasaf at the top of the table. Both teams are tied on points, but the Fergana side claims the lead thanks to their superior head-to-head record—having drawn the first encounter and won the second against the Dragons.

The gameweek kicked off with victories for both Uzbekistan Cup finalists. Pakhtakor edged past Khorezm with a narrow 0–1 win, while Bukhara secured a confident 2–0 victory over Sogdiana.

Dinamo Samarkand suffered a tough setback in their medal pursuit, falling to Kyzylkum in a challenging away fixture. Islombek Kenjaboev delivered a season-defining moment with a stunning free-kick goal, leaving Vadim Abramov’s side in a precarious position.

Neftchi cruised past bottom-placed Shurtan in Guzar, applying pressure on Nasaf ahead of their clash with OKMK. That pressure paid off, as Nasaf managed only a draw in Almalyk—secured by Dragan Ceran’s milestone 150th goal in the Uzbekistan Superleague.

Kokand-1912, battling to avoid relegation play-offs, triumphed over Navbahor in the valley derby. A costly error by Azim Akhmedov condemned the Namangan side to defeat.

Bunyodkor earned three hard-fought points, scoring twice before Amir Turakulov’s red card in the second half. Despite the man advantage, Mash’al could only respond with a single goal and failed to equalize.

The final match of the week was a showcase for Termiz’s rising star, Behruz Karimov. The 18-year-old wonderkid netted a beautiful brace, securing a comfortable win for his team and capping off an exciting round of fixtures.