Persepolis chasing the double, Esteghlal seeking solace in Hazfi Cup final
The stage is set for a fitting finale to the Iranian club football season when Tehran archrivals Persepolis and Esteghlal square off in the Hazfi Cup final at the capital’s Azadi Stadium today.
Newly-crowned Persian Gulf Pro League champion Persepolis will be after a second trophy in less than a fortnight, while Esteghlal will be chasing a consoling end to a campaign that has been overwhelmed by controversy and chaos off the pitch.
A derby victory for Persepolis will mean a second domestic double in four years, with the opposite outcome seeing Esteghlal lift a record-extending eighth Hazfi Cup trophy – first since 2018.
The Reds have been in flying form since the Persian New Year break in late March and head into the game on the back of a remarkable nine successive victories in all competitions, which helped Yahya Golmohammadi’s men overcome a four-point deficit on top of the league table and pip Sepahan to the title before securing a place in today’s encounter thanks to a 3-1 win at Havadar last Thursday.
Esteghlal was probably the most formidable side in the second half of the Iranian top flight as Ricardo Sa Pinto’s men won 11 in 14 league outings since the 2-1 defeat against Sepahan in January, losing only one – though it proved to be a season-defining setback for the Blues.
Persepolis striker Issa Al-e Kassir came off the bench at the break to score as Esteghlal suffered a 1-0 defeat against its city rival in April, and was then held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-threatened San’at Naft Abadan in the following game to fall off the pace in the title race.
Sa Pinto still praised his players for staying in the mix until the closing stages of the title run-in, despite the club having to deal with numerous issues throughout the campaign, which saw three chairmen in charge in the space of nine months, while the team was expelled from next season’s AFC Champions League after failing to meet the Asian football governing body’s club licensing regulations.
The recent history in the Hazfi Cup is on the Blues’ side as they came out victorious twice in the shootout against today’s opponents en route to the final showpieces in 2020 and 2021, but the bad news for Sa Pinto is that his side left the pitch empty-handed on both occasions.