Matchday 24 has already started, but the biggest questions are still waiting for Friday and Saturday.
Pakhtakor and Neftchi enter the round level on 52 points. The Tashkent side sit top on the tiebreakers, with Neftchi right behind them. And the schedule has given both title contenders a serious test: Neftchi face a derby in Kokand, while Pakhtakor travel to third-placed Navbahor.
By Saturday night, the title race could look very different. Here are the main games with 888STARZ.
Kokand-1912 vs Neftchi
Friday’s headline game — and another Fergana Valley derby.
Neftchi have 52 points and sit second, while also leading the league for goals scored with 52 in 23 matches.
But last round brought a setback: a 2–2 home draw with Khorezm.
Now there is even less room to drop points.
Kokand-1912 are only 13th, but they come into the game after an impressive 3–0 win over Mash’al. And derby games rarely care much about the table.
Neftchi’s task is simple: win and move outright top, at least for a few hours.
Navbahor vs Pakhtakor
The biggest game of the round.
Pakhtakor lead on 52 points. Navbahor are third with 45.
Seven points is still a meaningful gap, but a Navbahor win would immediately add pressure not only in the battle for the top three, but further up the table as well.
Pakhtakor arrive after a convincing 3–1 win over Bunyodkor.
Navbahor drew 2–2 with AGMK last time out and missed a chance to move even closer to the leaders.
Now the calendar gives them a direct opportunity to make up for it.
For Pakhtakor, the stakes are just as clear: any dropped points could hand Neftchi a real advantage in the title race.
Lokomotiv vs Nasaf
This one is about the next group behind the leaders.
Lokomotiv sit fifth on 38 points, with Nasaf directly behind them on 37.
So this is almost a straight fight for position.
The hosts arrive after an entertaining 3–2 win over Sogdiana. Nasaf also won last time out, beating Dinamo Samarkand 2–1.
There is another nice angle here: Lokomotiv already beat Nasaf 3–2 in Qarshi earlier in the season.
Now Nasaf have a chance to return the favour — and move above them in the table at the same time.
Dinamo vs Bukhara
Another tight matchup.
Bukhara have 37 points, Dinamo 30. The gap is bigger than in the game above, but Samarkand have been through a difficult spell and can still make this awkward at home.
Bukhara have shown enough this season to stay around the upper half, even if the distance to the top three has grown.
This is less about the title race and more about staying attached to the group just behind the leaders.
For Dinamo, a win would pull them closer to the top half again.
What Is Happening at the Bottom?
Friday also brings Bunyodkor vs Sogdiana and Surkhon vs Khorezm.
And down there, every point carries a different weight.
Bunyodkor sit 14th on 22 points, while Khorezm are 15th on the same total. Surkhon have 27, Sogdiana 28.
One win could seriously reshape the bottom end of the table.
Khorezm are particularly interesting after their 2–2 away draw with Neftchi. That result should give them a useful lift before a run of direct battles around the relegation zone.
Matchday 24 Has Already Started
Two matches were played on 15 October.
Qizilqum beat Andijan 1–0 and moved up to eighth on 33 points.
AGMK also won 1–0, beating Mash’al and moving onto 39 points and fourth place.
So even before the headline games, the table has already started moving.
Remaining Matchday 24 Fixtures
16 October: Kokand-1912 — Neftchi, Bunyodkor — Sogdiana, Surkhon — Khorezm.
17 October: Lokomotiv — Nasaf, Navbahor — Pakhtakor, Dinamo — Bukhara.
Before the Big Games
Everything comes back to one number — 52. That is how many points both Pakhtakor and Neftchi have. One plays a derby in Kokand. The other travels to third-placed Navbahor. And next week the two title contenders meet head-to-head: Pakhtakor vs Neftchi.
That makes this round more than just another weekend before the big game. It decides what position both teams will be in when they finally face each other.
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