Persian Gulf Pro League roundup:
Esteghlal held at Foolad; Persepolis, Sepahan close the gap on top
The latest round of fixtures at the Persian Gulf Pro League saw Esteghlal play to a goalless draw at bottom-half struggler Foolad Khuzestan.
Sepahan, meanwhile, routed Mes Rafsanjan 4-1 at home to close the gap on Javad Nekounam’s Blues on top of the table, with Persepolis walking away with a much-needed 1-0 victory over Havadar at the Azadi Stadium.
Boring in Foolad Arena
Nekounam’s reunion with his former employers turned out to be a boring affair at the Foolad Arena, as the home side – third from bottom – seemed to be more than happy with the minimum point against the in-form Blues, while the visiting side failed with creating clear-cut chances despite desperately searching for a winner.
In a further blow for Esteghlal, Iman Salimi was forced out before the break with an eye injury, leaving the center-back a doubt for Thursday’s Tehran derby against Persepolis.
A second successive draw away from home kept Esteghlal on top with 24 points – three clear of Sepahan and Tractor, although the Isfahan-based club has a game in hand.
Sepahan flying high
Days after becoming the only Iranian top-flight side to progress to the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League, Sepahan marched to a third victory in a row in the domestic league.
Ex-Sepahan striker Sajjad Shahbazzadeh sent his effort wide after going past keeper Payam Niazmand deep into the first-half stoppage time, arguably a pivotal point throughout the contest as the home side went on to score four in the second half before a late consolation for Mes.
Iranian international fullback Ramin Rezaeian broke the deadlock with yet another superb free-kick 10 minutes after the restart, with Reza Shekari adding a second six minutes later.
Shahriyar Moghanlou came off the bench to find the net twice and take his tally to five for the season, before Jalal Alimohammadi sent Niazmand the wrong way from the spot to cut the deficit to three.
Having been deducted four points for a ‘budget cap violation’ earlier in the season, Sepahan, boasting probably the most formidable squad in the league, remains the favorite to go all the way to lift the ultimate prize by the end of the campaign.
Relief for Reds
Stepping onto the pitch on the back of a devastating defeat at home against Al Duhail, which led to the Reds crashing out of the Asian elite clubs event, Yahya Golmohammadi and his men knew a seventh consecutive match without a victory was the last thing they needed ahead of the encounter with their archrivals.
Persepolis, playing without suspended top scorer Shahab Zahedi, had Saeb Mohebbi to thank for the maximum points as Havadar defender’s own goal midway through the first half settled the scoreline.
The result might have provided relief for Golmohammadi, who had sections of the crowd chanting against him after the Al Duhail defeat, but the Reds manager was still left with much to think about, as his players were again wasteful in front of the goal, while clearly running out of steam in the second period.
A first league victory since late October lifted the defending champion to fourth in the table – equal on 20 points with Zob Ahan, which shared the spoils in a goalless stalemate at Paykan on the preceding night.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Nassaji Mazandaran celebrated only a second win of the season, edging out fellow relegation zone side Esteghlal Khuzestan 1-0 at home, courtesy of Amirmohammad Houshmand’s 66th-minute strike.
On Thursday, Brazilian Gustavo Vagenin scored right before the break as Tractor left Sirjan with a massive 1-0 win against Golgohar.
Shams Azar continued the impressive run in its debut top-flight campaign, thanks to Ali-Asghar A’rabi’s second-half double in a 2-0 victory away to Malavan FC on Friday, which saw Mahdi Tartar’s side drop to sixth in the standing – one point adrift of Persepolis and Zob Ahan.
In Abadan, three first-half goals saw Amin Kazemian and Reza Jabireh find the target either side of a Yousef Kayshams’ equalizer to steer Iralco to a 2-1 win at San’at Naft in a match dominated by controversial refereeing decisions.