Persepolis sets up derby date with Esteghlal in Iranian Hazfi Cup final
A second Tehran derby in less than six weeks will be staged in the capital’s Azadi Stadium on Wednesday, when Persepolis and Esteghlal square off in the Iranian Hazfi Cup final.
Newly-crowned Persian Gulf Pro League champion Persepolis continued its dazzling form over the past three months with a 3-1 victory over Havadar in the semifinal on Thursday – a day after Esteghlal had routed Nassaji Mazandaran 4-0 for a place in final showdown.
Persepolis capitalized on a flying start to the game in Tehran’s Pas Stadium as Georgian center-back Giorgi Gvelesiani gave the Reds a fourth-minute lead from the spot – after Mehdi Torabi was brought down in the box by Morteza Mansouri – and Vahid Amiri’s left-footed effort from the edge of box found the bottom corner for their second in the ninth minute.
Masoud Shojaei blew the chance to cut the deficit to one in the first half when his penalty was saved by his ex-international teammate Alireza Beiranvand, but Persepolis was punished for underestimating the opponent – which had beaten the Reds 1-0 in the league in February – as substitute Babak Moradi sent Beiranvand the wrong way from the spot on the hour mark.
Havadar pushed forward for an equalizer but Issa Alekassir restored the two-goal cushion for Persepolis, rounding off a textbook counter-attack with 18 minutes left on the clock to help the Reds maintain their 100-percent record since the Persian New Year break in late March with a ninth successive victory in the league and cup.
Standing between Persepolis and a second domestic double in four years is Esteghlal, which will be looking for consolation with the Hazfi Cup crown after falling off the pace late in the league title race, finishing third – four points adrift of the Reds – despite an impressive run in the second half of the campaign.
Arash Rezavand’s header from close range and an Alireza Ebrahimi’s own goal in the first half was followed by Mohammad Mohebi’s brace after the interval to see the Blues avenge last year’s quarterfinal setback in the shootout against eventual champion Nassaji.
Esteghlal will also be seeking revenge against its familiar foe in Wednesday’s showpiece after suffering a 1-0 defeat when the two Tehran-based giants met in April.
Alekassir came off the bench at the break to find the target as Yahya Golmohammadi’s side pulled off a massive derby victory to overtake both Sepahan and Esteghlal on top of the table with three games to spare before lifting a sixth league trophy in seven years.