Persian Gulf Pro League wrap-up:
Persepolis undone at Malavan, misses out on top spot
Persepolis missed the chance to go top of the Persian Gulf Pro League table after suffering a 1-0 away defeat to Malavan FC at the Sirous Qayeqran Stadium on Sunday.
A win would have given the Tehran Reds a two-point lead over Tractor, Esteghlal and Sepahan, but a third defeat in five matches left Osmar Vieira’s side fourth in the standings on 34 points.
Mohammad-Javad Mohammadi scored the decisive goal for the hosts in the 79th minute, sending Persepolis goalkeeper Payam Niazmand the wrong way from the penalty spot after Malavan midfielder Farhan Jafari was brought down in the area by Soroush Rafiei.
The victory lifted Malavan to seventh place on 28 points.
Elsewhere, Golgohar Sirjan saw its seven-game unbeaten league run ended with a 3-1 defeat away to Foolad Khuzestan in Ahvaz.
Amir Jafari gave Golgohar an early lead in the fifth minute, but the match swung in the first half through goals from Ehsan Mahrouqi and Mohammadreza Soleimani. Abolfazl Razzaqpour sealed the win eight minutes from time with a low finish from inside the box.
Golgohar remained fifth with 33 points, while Foolad moved up to ninth on 25 points after a second win in four matches since Hamid Motahari took over as head coach.
In Yazd, Reza Dehqan and Paraguayan fullback Mario Otazu scored late in each half as Chadormalou beat Paykan 2-0 at home to climb to sixth on 29 points. Paykan stayed 11th with 22 points.
Earlier in the round, Haiti international Duckens Nazon struck a 96th-minute winner as Esteghlal edged 10-man Shams Azar 3-2 at home on Thursday, despite surrendering a two-goal lead late in the match.
On Friday, Tractor fell 2-1 away to Fajr Sepasi in Shiraz, with Meisam Moradi scoring the decisive goal in the 82nd minute. Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi’s 36th-minute header earned Sepahan a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Khaybar, ending a five-match winless league run for Moharram Navidkia’s side.
Iralco defeated nine-man Zob Ahan 1-0 in Arak on Saturday thanks to Sasan Hosseini’s 79th-minute strike. The same scoreline was recorded in Rafsanjan, where Mes lost at home to Esteghlal Khuzestan and remained rock-bottom of the 16-team table.