Defending champions Pakhtakor blanked Neftchi 4-0 to go atop the Uzbekistan League standings after 13 rounds here recently.

Renat Bayramov opened the scoring for Pakhtakor in the first minute while Server Djeparov (68), Ildar Magdeev (89) and Alexander Geynrikh (90) sealed the fate of former leaders Neftchi.

Pakhtakor have 35 points, one more than Neftchi while Kuruvchi, who defeated Nasaf 3-0, are further two adrift on third place. Shavkat Salomov (18), Sergey Lushan (60) and Victor Karpenko (67) were on the mark for Kuruvchi.

Mashal downed Shurtan 3-0 to take fourth place with 29 points. Jasur Babaev, Rustam Kadyrov and Jahongir Jiyamuradov scored a goal each for Mashal.

In other matches, Kyzylkum overcame Traktor 4-2, Samarqand sidelined Metallurg 4-1, Navabhor defeated Lokomotiv 6-1, Bukhara downed Vobkent 1-0 and Tupalang brushed aside Andijan 2-0.


STANDINGS: 1. Pakhtakor 35, 2. Neftchi 34, 3. Kuruvchi 32, 4. Mashal 29, 5. Kyzylkum 28.