Iranian Azadegan League:
Four-way battle as top-flight promotion race goes down to the wire
Iranian football fans will be treated to the most thrilling Azadegan League finale in years this Sunday, as four teams vie for promotion alongside Fajr Sepasi to the Persian Gulf Pro League.
An emphatic 4-0 victory over Damash Gilan at home on Monday sealed the second-division title for Fajr, which will be back in the Iranian top flight after 11 years next season.
All eyes will be on Paykan, San’at Naft Abadan, Ario Eslamshahr, and Saipa, which sit second to fifth in the table, respectively – separated by just a single point heading into the final day.
Farshad Mohammadimehr found the net from the spot in the 13th minute, before Abolfazl Akasheh added a second late in the game to help San’at beat Paykan in Abadan in the penultimate round of fixtures and move level on 58 points with the visiting side.
A superior head-to-head record means San’at will overtake Paykan, should the two sides remain equal on points after their final-day matches.
Paykan will host 11th-placed Mes Kerman on Sunday, with San’at visiting Ario in the Iranian capital.
Ario remained in contention for a top-tier debut after a first-half brace from Shahram Salari and a Reza Sadri’s strike on the hour mark led the club to a 3-0 away win against Shahrdari Astara.
Fourth on 57 points, Ario will hope a first win in five outings leads to another on Sunday.
Saipa is the most high-profile of the lot, having won a memorable top-flight title in 2007 under legendary Iranian striker Ali Daei, who served as player-manager.
Saipa had an Alireza Maleki’s strike in the first half to thank for a massive 1-0 win at Mes Kerman on Sunday to stay in the promotion mix.
Saipa head coach Ebrahim Sadeqi, who played an integral part in the title-winning campaign 18 years ago, will hope to see his men claim all points against an unenthusiastic Fajr Sepasi on the final day, tough they will still need the results in the other three games to go their way for a return to the Pro League after four years.