Persian Gulf Pro League:
Persepolis completes derby double to close in on top two
Ali Alipour scored a 71st winner as Persepolis defeated Esteghlal 2-1 at the Azadi Stadium on Thursday, completing a first Tehran Derby double in a decade in the Persian Gulf Pro League.
The massive victory helped third-placed Persepolis close the gap on Tractor and Sepahan to four and three points, respectively, following the goalless stalemate between the top two in the table in Tabriz’s Yadegar-e Imam Stadium earlier in the day.
There wasn’t much to separate the Tehran archrivals in the first half but the Capital Reds still managed to take the lead from the spot right before the interval.
Alipour was released behind the Blues backline by skipper Omid A’alishah’s long ball and burst into the box before being brought down by Esteghlal goalkeeper Seyyed Hossein Hosseini.
Serdar Dursun had his effort saved by Hosseini, but luck was on his side as the spot kick was repeated after a VAR review showed Esteghlal keeper off the goal line when the Turkish striker struck the ball.
Center-back Hossein Kan’anizadegan, who scored the winner from the spot late in September’s reverse fixture, stepped in to take responsibility for the second attempt and put the Reds in front in the fourth minute of first-half added time.
It took Esteghlal 10 minutes after the restart to find the equalizer, with substitute Alireza Koushki heading home Ramin Rezaeian’s cross for his third goal in as many games.
Unbeaten in the Tehran derby since March 2018 – barring a couple of shootout setbacks in the Hazfi Cup – Persepolis restored the lead 16 minutes later.
Soroush Rafiei’s pinpoint free-kick found Alipour unmarked in the Blues box, before his deft touch went past Hosseini – a ninth league goal for the striker this term, and fifth in the history of the fixture.
Esteghlal desperately pushed for a second goal, but Persepolis held off the pressure and could have even doubled the advantage through Issa Alekasir, who was denied by Hosseini in a one-on-one situation deep into stoppage time.
A derby triumph was perhaps what Persepolis head coach Ismail Kartal needed, after his team had managed only a single win in six outings across all competitions since the Turkish boss took the helm in January, crashing out of the domestic cup and AFC Champions League Elite in the process.
“We dominated the ball possession throughout the 90 minutes and kept Esteghlal at bay, as all they could do was sending long balls from the right flank. We’re now back in the title race and will give it our all to win the league again,” said the Turkish coach, who gave special praise to Rafiei and Alipour, tipping the duo to receive an international call-up for March’s World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Kartal’s Montenegrin opposite number Miodrag Bozovic, who was only appointed to the job on the eve of the derby, was given a reality check of the task on his hands ahead of Monday’s home game against Saudi heavyweight Al Nassr in the Asian Champions League last 16.