TASHKENT // Arabian Gulf League leaders Al Jazira, playing without leading scorer Mirko Vucinic, crashed out of the Asian Champions League ahead of the group stages, losing 2-1 to Bunyodkor on Tuesday. Jazira were nearly toothless without their Montenegrin striker, who has scored 19 goals in 15 league matches. The defeat in the play-off match in the Uzbek capital means Jazira will not participate in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2008. The capital club had played in the final 16 last season and in 2012. Ali Mabkhout supplied Jazira’s goal on a penalty just before the break, after the Iranian referee ruled that the Bunyodkor goalkeeper Akbar Turaev had taken down winger Jonathan Pitroipa in the area. Mabkhout’s goal cancelled out Bunyodkor’s 23rd-minute goal, which came when Vokhid Shodiev tapped in after a botched Jazira clearance in front of goal. Basheer Saeed mis-hit the ball, which deflected off the back of teammate Abdullah Mousa and fell in the path of the Uzbek midfielder. Sardor Rashidov scored the winner in the 52nd minute, breaking free from Saif Khalfan and chipping a composed shot over Jazira goalkeeper Khaled Al Sinani, who came charging off his line. Bunyodkor, the fourth-place club in the Uzbek League in 2014, now join Group A with Persepolis of Iran, Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia and Lekhwiya of Qatar. Manuel Lanzini was one of the few standouts for Jazira. The diminutive midfielder from Argentina dominated the middle third of the pitch, but without Vucinic he had few targets in a scoring position. Follow to <a href="https://twitter.com/NatSportUAE">@NatSportUAE</a>