Persian Gulf Pro League:
Persepolis stunned by Nassaji; Esteghlal continues revival under Mosimane
A run of poor results and performances continued for Persepolis as the Persian Gulf Pro League champion suffered a 1-0 home defeat against bottom club Nassaji Mazandaran.
Meanwhile, Esteghlal’s resurgence gained momentum under head coach Pisto Mosimane thanks to an impressive 2-0 away victory over Foolad Khuzestan in Ahvaz.
At Shahr-e Qods Stadium, Persepolis frontline, spearheaded by Issa Alekasir, was wasteful again, while Nassaji’s Brazilian goalkeeper Luan Polli was in dazzling form, as Kevin Yamga’s 25th-minute strike was enough to secure a first victory of the campaign for the northern Iranian club.
The visiting side went down to 10 men with 16 minutes left after midfielder Alexander Merkel was dismissed for dissent, but the home side still failed to capitalize on the advantage, struggling to break through Nassaji’s solid backline.
There were more red cards in the stoppage time with Nassaji’s Armin Sohrabian and Persepolis fullback Ayoub El Amloud receiving marching orders for a second booking.
A second league defeat of the season heaped further pressure on Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Garrido, despite a promising start to his reign on Persepolis bench.
The disappointing run in the AFC Champions League Elite, coupled with the team’s insipid displays and defensive vulnerabilities, has put Garrido under scrutiny in recent weeks, and with crucial away games against Malavan and Sepahan on the horizon, the Spaniard faces a race against time to turn the Reds’ fortunes around.
Blues on the rise
The woeful early days of the new season under Javad Nekounam now seem like a distant memory for Esteghlal fans, after their team built on a decent performance in the away draw against Saudi giant Al Ahli to walk away with a massive victory at Foolad Khuzestan.
Brazilian center-back Raphael Silva headed home on a corner-kick with three minutes into the game at Foolad Arena, before Amirali Sadeqi put the Blues in the driving seat midway through the first half with a superb strike from the edge of the box.
Uzbekistan international Jaloliddin Masharipov delivered a man-of-the-match performance by dictating the tempo in the middle of the pitch to help Esteghlal claim a fourth win in 11 league outings and move up to eighth in the top-flight table.
With Mosimane’s evolution picking up pace, Esteghlal supporters are still hopeful their team will return to the title race in the coming weeks.
Next for Esteghlal is a home tie against Mes Kerman in the Hazfi Cup on Wednesday before the Blues host Golgohar Sirjan on their return to league action on Sunday.