Insipid Persepolis held by Fajr in Iranian top-flight opener
Head coach Vahid Hashemian received a reality check in his debut on the Persepolis bench after the Tehran Reds labored to a 1-1 home stalemate against Fajr Sepasi in their Persian Gulf Pro League opener at the Shahr-e Qods Stadium on Monday.
Star striker Ali Alipour found the bottom corner with a side-footed effort from outside the box deep into stoppage time to cancel out Hossein Shahabi’s 13th-minute strike for the newly-promoted visitors.
Persepolis, which was without three summer signings in goalkeeper Payam Niazmand, Ivorian fullback Serge Aurier, and Congolese winger Thievy Bifouma for different reasons, dominated the possession throughout the game but still struggled with creating clear-cut chances and even felt lucky not to be punished on a couple of counter-attacks before Alipour’s last-gasp equalizer.
Hashemian will be desperate to see the new additions available and his team improves on Monday’s drab performance when the Reds travel to Isfahan to take on Sepahan in the ‘Iranian Clasico’ next week.
Elsewhere on Monday, Iran under-20 international Kasra Taheri scored a bizarre goal in the 20th minute – when Zob Ahan goalkeeper Parsa Jafari’s pass ricocheted off his foot and found the back of net – as Paykan celebrated a 1-0 away victory in Isfahan on its return to the Iranian top flight.
Paykan will host Esteghlal Khuzestan next, with Zob Ahan visiting Esteghlal.
Golgohar Sirjan also got off to a winning start in the new season, beating Iralco 1-0 at home, thanks to Majid Eidi’s sublime volley from the edge of the box 15 minutes into the game.
Next for Golgohar is an away game at Fajr Sepasi, with Iralco facing Kheybar Khorramabad in Arak.
Kheybar pulled off a sensational fightback to beat Mes Rafsanjan 3-2 at home on Monday.
Alireza Naqizadeh and a Hossein Pourhamidi’s own goal gave Mes a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes, but Ehsan Hosseini pulled one back for the home side from close range midway through the first half, before Esmaei Babaei drew Kheybar level right before the break.
Former Mes midfielder Ali Shojaei headed home eight minutes after the break against his former club to secure maximum points for head coach Seyyed Mahdi Rahmati in his first game in charge of Kheybar.
Next for Mes is a massive home game against defending champion Tractor on Tuesday.