Persian Gulf Pro League:
Alipour, Dursun on target to send Persepolis top
Ali Alipour and Serdar Dursun scored in each half as Persepolis defeated Malavan 2-0 at the Persian Gulf Pro League in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Friday.
The victory saw the Capital Reds, who are chasing an eighth top-flight crown in nine seasons, move atop the league table with 47 points – one point clear of Sepahan – though Tractor, which is third on 45 points with two games in hand, could overtake Persepolis with a home win against Golgohar Sirjan today.
Sepahan was dealt a massive a blow in its bid for a first league title in a decade after being held to a 1-1 stalemate at relegation-threatened Nassaji Mazandaran on Thursday – a fifth draw in six league outings for the Isfahan-based club.
Fresh from back-to-back league victories over city rival Esteghlal and Chadormalou, Persepolis started right on the front at the Azadi Stadium, taking a 16th-minute lead through Alipour, who headed home at the near post from a Soroush Rafiei’s corner kick.
A third strike in four games saw Alipour sit atop the league’s leading marksmen’s chart with 10 goals and earn an international call-up for the upcoming double header against the UAE and Uzbekistan at the World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The visiting side delivered a much-improved and braver performance after the break, but Persepolis still managed to double the advantage midway through the second half, when Dursun tapped in from close range, finishing off a sublime team move down the left flank – a third goal in five league appearances for the Turkish winter signing.
The defeat ended Malavan’s three-game winning streak in the league, leaving the visitors sixth in the table with 30 points.
Meanwhile, Foolad Khuzestan defeated Iralco 2-0 in Ahvaz, courtesy of first-half goals from Sina Moridi and Mohammadreza Soleimani.
Foolad, which had its home game against Tractor postponed last week, is fourth in the table with 41 points, while Iralco is seventh with 28 points.
In the battle of two bottom-half strugglers, Mes Rafsanjan shared the spoils with Esteghlal Khuzestan in a goalless draw at home.
The result was still enough for Mes (23 points) to move three points clear of the relegation zone, with Es. Khuzestan in the 12th place with 25 points.
Elsewhere in the league today, Esteghlal will visit Zob Ahan at the Fooladshahr Stadium.
The Iranian top-flight sides will head into the Persian New Year break, before resuming action on March 29.