Match Report
The table read 1st (Al Sharjah, 13 pts) against 4th (Istiqlol Dushanbe, 0 pts), 13 points apart. Istiqlol Dushanbe ranked just 30th in the league on five-round form despite their 4th table position. Against a league average of 1.71 goals per team per game, Al Sharjah ran at 2.17 scored and 1.33 conceded, Istiqlol Dushanbe at 0.17 and 2.
W. Kim officiated: 80 games logged, averaging 1.2 yellow cards each. Al-Sharjah Stadium in Sharjah staged the fixture, a ground that holds 11,073. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Al Sharjah led 2-1 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 3-1.
Goal scorers
Al Sharjah: Ousmane Camara (30'), Luan Pereira (21'), Caio (58') · Istiqlol Dushanbe: Ekhson Pandzhshanbe (24')