Persepolis Closes In On Top Spot

Mehr News – Popular Persepolis approached the top position of the third Iran Pro League with a win over SAIPA here Sunday. 
The capital’s reds handed the bottom-placed SAIPA a 2-0 defeat in the 11th week in the 100,000-seater Azadi Stadium, 10km west of Tehran, giving a warning to the IPL leader Zob Ahan.

Sohrab Entezari side-footed a ball past SAIPA keeper from a tight angle in the 15th minute and national skipper Ali Daei headed home a Javad Kazemian cross six minutes before the break.

Persepolis has 20 points, two shy of points of the Isfahan-based Zob, which struggled to a goalless draw against Foulad on the water-logged pitch of Takhti Stadium in Ahvaz, southern Khuzestan Province.

In other matches, visitor Esteqlal of Tehran and Sepahan tied nil-nil, Paykan stunned Pas 3-1, Pegah gave Esteqlal of Ahvaz a 3-0 surprising loss, Fajr and Barq leveled 0-0, and Abu Moslem was announced the 3-0 winner at home as the promoted Shamoushak refused to field players as a gesture of opposition to Football Federation as it picked Ali Khosravi for refereeing the match.