Persian Gulf Pro League:
Crivelli nets last-gasp winner to send Sepahan back on top
Enzo Crivelli scored a 95th-minute winner to lead Sepahan to a 1-0 victory over Chadormalou in the Persian Gulf Pro League at Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium on Saturday.
Introduced as a second-half substitute, the French striker tapped in from close range on the rebound after Aref Haji-Eidi’s effort from the edge of the box was initially cleared by Chadormalou fullback Saeid Mohammadifard. The goal took Crivelli’s tally to three in 12 appearances across all competitions since joining Sepahan as a free agent from Swiss top-flight side Servette in August.
An eighth win in nine league games since the 2-1 home defeat to Tractor in September helped Moharram Navidkia’s side – which had collected only two points from its first four matches of the campaign – return to the top of the table with 30 points, two clear of second-placed Persepolis with a game in hand.
Sepahan could extend its lead further with a victory over Esteghlal in its rescheduled matchday 10 home fixture on Thursday.
Chadormalou remained third on 24 points, two above defending champion Tractor, which was held to a sixth goalless draw of the season away to Shams Azar on Friday.
Persepolis had Soroush Rafiei’s first-half strike to thank for a hard-fought 1-0 away win against bottom club Mes Rafsanjan on Friday. The host was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining. It marked Persepolis’ fifth win in six matches since Brazilian head coach Osmar Loss Vieira returned to the Tehran Reds’ bench for a second spell last month.
Elsewhere, Paykan and Khaybar shared the points in a goalless draw in Tehran on Saturday. Khaybar sits sixth in the standings with 21 points, while Paykan is 12th on 15.
On Friday, Yahya Golmohammadi’s Foolad Khuzestan claimed only its third win of the campaign, edging newly promoted Fajr Sepasi 2-1 after a dramatic finish at Shiraz’s Pars Stadium.
Ehsan Mahrouqi headed Foolad in front in the 70th minute, only for his goal to be cancelled out by Shervin Bozorg’s 99th-minute penalty. Just when the two sides appeared to have settled for a draw, Mahrouqi struck again in the 13th minute of added time, lifting the visitors to 10th place with 16 points – level with Ahvaz rival Esteghlal Khuzestan, which defeated Zob Ahan 2-0 at home on Thursday. Fajr, meanwhile, is ninth on 18 points.
There was also late drama at Arak’s Imam Khomeini Stadium as Qaem Eslamikhah netted a 91st-minute winner to lead Malavan to a 1-0 away victory over Iralco.
Malavan climbed to seventh with 21 points, while Iralco sits 13th in the 16-team table with 15 points – two clear of the relegation zone.