Persian Gulf Pro League:
Nerve-racking finale at both ends of the table
A long, exhausting season of the Persian Gulf Pro League will come to an end tonight with five teams having all to play for at both ends of the table.
Tehran archrivals Persepolis and Esteghlal will conclude a toe-to-toe race for the Iranian top-flight crown, while Paykan, Foolad Khuzestan, and Esteghlal Khuzestan – separated by two points – will hope to avoid joining San’at Naft Abadan in the second division next season.
A home win will be between Persepolis – leading Esteghlal by a single point – and a remarkable seventh league title in eight seasons when the Capital Reds welcome Moharram Navidkia’s Mes Rafsanjan to the Azadi Stadium.
Persepolis, which only moved atop the table for the first time eight days ago – after overcoming a halftime three-goal deficit to win a seven-goal thriller against Esteghlal Khuzestan at home – will have an impressive run in the second part of the campaign to thank for a likely title.
Named as the interim coach following Yahya Golmohammadi’s departure in January, Osmar Vieira – a number two to his predecessor – got off to a losing start in his new role – a 1-0 defeat at Iralco – but went on to lead the Reds to 11 wins in 13 unbeaten matches, including a massive 3-1 win at Shams Azar last time out, and another three points today will all but guarantee an extended spell on the bench for the Brazilian.
Meanwhile, for all the criticism he has received for his defensive-minded approach, Esteghlal head coach Javad Nekounam, who took charge for the start of season, deserves credit for keeping an average squad on top of the table for the best part of campaign, though he will be left regretting his gameplan in the goalless stalemate at Nassaji Mazandaran, which saw the Blues relinquish the table summit, if his team fails to win a second title in three years.
While Nekounam will be longing for a favor from his former international teammate Navidkia, who lost his job as the Sepahan manager after coming short against Persepolis in the title race three years ago, Esteghlal boss will have to come up against his opposite number on Paykan bench Reza Enayati – a league champion with the Blues as a prolific striker.
Stepping into the game on the back of four defeats in an eight-game winless run, Paykan is two points clear of the relegation zone but another setback at home today could see the club drop to the second tier for the first time in eight years.
Esteghlal Khuzestan, the last team other than the capital rivals to win the league, is in the bottom two ahead of the home fixture against Havadar but head coach Sirous Pourmousavi will hope his men can build on the recent brave performances, including last Wednesday’s comeback 3-2 win at Mes Rafsanjan.
Foolad, meanwhile, will play away to Nassaji, which is on a high after a 5-0 thrashing of Havadar in the previous outing secured a top-tier place for the northern Iranian club.
A two-time champion since the Iranian Pro League was introduced two decades ago, Foolad would have been within touching distance of survival on Wednesday, had it not been for conceding a 97th-minute equalizer in the 2-2 home draw against Paykan and now any outcome other than maximum points at Nassaji could see the 2022/23 AFC Champions League quarterfinalist relegated for the second time in the Pro League era.