The late strike gives Luiz Felipe Scolari a win in his first game in the continental competition and a significant advantage for the second leg in South Korea on 30 September.

There was nothing between the two teams for much of the game though the pendulum swung the way of the Uzbeks midway through the second half as Pohang defender Kim Hyung-il was sent off.

Honours were even in an entertaining first half. Pohang started and ended well with the Uzbek champions in the ascendancy.

From a Kim Jung-kyum cross whipped in from the left, Noh collected the ball on his chest on the edge of the six yard box and then fired the ball in to net past Ignatiy Nesterov.

The hosts took time to get into the game Bunyodkor almost equalized after 25 minutes but Anjarvon Soliev’s header from close range was well-saved by Shin Hwa-yong in the Pohang goal.

Karpenko fired Bunyodkor back on level terms on the half hour, volleying home from outside the box after the Pohang ’keeper punched clear.

Both teams had chances to edge in front as the game progressed.

Rivaldo went close with a free-kick ten minutes after the restart and soon after Kim Jung-kyum shot over from close range.

Midway through the second half, Pohang lost their commanding defender Kim Hyung-il after he collected a second yellow card.

Bunyodkor took advantage ten minutes from the end with a well-worked move.

Rivaldo’s slide-rule pass split the Pohang defence, Jasur Hassanov pulled the ball across goal for Djeparov to fire home.

With four minutes remaining, Bunyokdor broke free as Pohang attacked and Djeparov had a free header from close range to leave Pohang with a mountain to climb in the second leg.

The visitors were left to rue the red card and the fact that a goal scored deep into stoppage time was disallowed.