Persepolis beat 10-man Naft Tehran, Sepahan win Isfahan derby [VIDEO]

Tehran Times - Persepolis football team took another step towards the title as they defeated Naft Tehran 2-0 in the 23rd Week of Iran Professional League in front of more than 17,000 fans at Tehran’s Takhti Stadium on Sunday.

Naft Tehran goalkeeper Nader Safarzaei was shown a red card just five minutes into the game after he touched the ball with his hands outside of the penalty area in order to block Persepolis’s chance.

Persepolis couldn’t open the deadlock in the first half but Soroush Rafiei finally put the ball into the back of the net with a rocket shot from edge of the box in the 57th minute.

Mehdi Taremi made it double in the 87th minute with a low right-footed shot between the keeper’s legs.

Elsewhere in Isfahan, Sepahan won the derby against Zob Ahan 2-1. Uzbek midfielder Server Djeparov opened the scoring in the 9th minute while Masoud Hassanzadeh scored the second goal from the penalty spot in the 26th minute. Honduran striker Jerry Bengtson reduced the deficit for Zob Ahan in the 87th minute but it was too late to come back.