Blues tie, Barq beats holder Pas as 4th IPL starts

MNA – Esteqlal of Tehran did not break the jinx as it was held in the family fight while Barq took heart at home to edge past the third Iran Pro League holder Pas Monday.
Esteqlal of southern city Ahvaz, which inflicted a heavy blow on the capital’s Blues last season with a 2-1 win that helped Pas be in the driver’s seat just one week from the tournament put a brake on the revenge-seeking home team’s progress in the first week of the 4th IPL in an almost empty Azadi Stadium, west of Tehran.

National left winger Alireza Vahedi-Nikbakht, who put Iran ahead against Jordan in the 80th minute of their second-leg World Cup qualifier last Wednesday was full of energy and sent few partisan home fans wild with applause six minutes before the break.

Nikbakht took the optimal advantage of southerners’ advancing keeper Sasha Ilic’s blunder to steer a Gilaverdi diagonal cross into an empty net with a simple header.

Ahmad Al-e Ne’me canceled out Nikbakht opener just one minute after the restart as he patted in a free-kick in the goalmouth.

The southerners came close to the second on 59 minutes when Amir Khlifeh-Asl had just the keeper to beat but he carelessly missed the scoring opportunity.

Nikbakht turned provider in the 82nd minute when he curled the ball for substitute Fred Malekian in the six-yard area but the striker failed to head the perfect cross.

The well-placed Ilic secured one point for the visitor as he saved a ferocious drive from Nikbakht in injury time.

In other games played earlier in the day, Barq turned giant-killer as it defeated champion Pas 2-1 in Shiraz, Shamushak and the newly-promoted Saba Battery, which has hired national skipper Ali Daei tied 2-2, Paykan and Pegah fought to a goalless draw, and Abu Moslem handed Zob Ahan a 1-0 defeat.

Malavan-Fajr match was postponed to heavy rain in Bandar Anzali, north of Iran.

Persepolis meets Khuzestan’s Foulad and Sepahan plays SAIPA on Sept. 14.