Persian Gulf Pro League:
Tractor on course, Sepahan wins Iranian Clasico to remain in contention
The Persian Gulf Pro League title race has effectively narrowed to two horses after the latest round of fixtures in the Iranian top flight on Friday.
Tractor tightened its grip on the top spot with a 3-0 home win over Malavan, while second-placed Sepahan stayed within touching distance of the summit by defeating nearest rival Persepolis 2-0 in the so-called ‘Iranian Clasico.’
Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh sent the home crowd at the packed Yadegar-e Imam Stadium into raptures with his 10th league goal of the season deep into first-half stoppage time, and Croatian Domagoj Drozdek scored twice in the second half as Tractor edged closer to a maiden domestic league crown.
Having a game in hand, Tractor is on top of the table with 58 points – two points clear of Sepahan – though Dragan Skocic’s men could extend their lead to five when they visit fourth-placed Foolad Khuzestan next Friday in a rescheduled fixture from matchday 22.
Tractor will also play away to Shams Azar and Esteghlal Khuzestan either side of a home game against Nassaji Mazandaran until the end of the season.
Sepahan, meanwhile, capitalized on a front-foot start at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium later on Friday to keep alive its slim hopes of lifting a first league trophy in a decade.
Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi put Sepahan in front inside two minutes, tapping in a Milad Zakipour’s corner-kick on the near post, before Georgian center-back Giorgi Gvelesiani headed the ball into his own net on a Mohammad Karimi’s cross nine minutes later.
A fourth successive win against their familiar foes this campaign saw Sepahan move five points clear of Persepolis and build crucial momentum in the battle for an AFC Champions League spot with three games remaining.
Sepahan will welcome Golgohar Sirjan next in the league before facing bottom-club Havadar (away) and Esteghlal (home).
Persepolis, the dominant force in the Iranian club football with seven league titles in eight years, will finish a below-par season with games against Mes Rafsanjan (A), Khaybar (A), and Havadar (H).
Elsewhere in the league, Ramin Rezaeian scored from the spot in the second minute of added time to cancel out a Mohammadreza Azadi’s ninth-minute own goal and help Esteghlal salvage a point at Golgohar Sirjan on Wednesday.
In Tehran, Reza Jabireh scored a brace with Ali Shojaei – from the spot – and Hossein Karimzadeh also on the scoresheet as Mes hammered Havadar 4-0 to move six points clear of the relegation zone.
Nassaji Mazandaran – second from bottom – was dealt a massive blow in its bid to stay in the top-tier league after suffering a 1-0 loss at Khaybar – courtesy of Mohammad-Javad Mohammadi’s spot-kick late in the first half.
Iralco and Chadormalou shared the points in a goalless game in Arak, while Pedram Qazipour’s strike led Zob Ahan to a 1-0 win against Esteghlal Khuzestan at home on Thursday.
In Ahvaz’s Foolad Arena, Hooman Rabizadeh’s first-half OG helped Foolad edge Shams Azar 1-0 and close the gap on Persepolis to three points with a game in hand.