Last year’s ACL semi-finalists Bunyodkor began their title defence with a 1-0 away victory over Dynamo at the Olympic Stadium in Samarkand while ACL ever-presents Pakhtakor brushed aside Bukhara 3-0 at home.

Amet Memet’s new Brazilian signing Joao Victor scored the match-winner for Bunyodkor seven minutes from the breather.

Odil Akhmedov chested down Alexander Geynrikh pass to open the Pakhtakor account three minutes before the half time while Serbian Bojan Miladinovic doubled the advantage four minutes after the hour mark. Substitute Sherzod Karimov sealed the fate of Bukhara with a 86th-minute strike.

Bunyodkor were placed in Group D of the AFC Champions League and will begin their campaign on March 11 at home against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq. UAE’s Al Shabab and Iran’s Sepahan are the other two teams in this group.

Pakhtakor were drawn in Group A along with Al Ahli (UAE), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Saba Battery (Iran) and they will face Al Ahli away on March 10 in the opener.