SAIPA, ugly duckling last season, proud swan in fourth league

MNA – SAIPA, which was an underdog and kept struggling to stay in Iran Pro League last season is now a giantkiller.
The team of Iranian automaker has souped up its engine, overtaking the country’s representatives in the Asian club competitions, Sepahan and Zob Ahan, both from Isfahan, in the first two weeks of the fourth IPL.

The Tehran-based surprising package gave the home team Sepahan a bitter pill to swallow in their opening match as it snatched an unbelievable 4-1 victory and beat Zob 1-0 in Shariati Stadium in Karaj, west of the capital, Sunday.

Farhad Bustani deserved a pat on the back as he grabbed the winner, finding Zob’s net one minute from the interval.

The two wins have sent SAIPA to the peak of the table while popular sides have sharply descended due to their lackluster performances.

Persepolis, which was humiliated and lost 3-1 to Foulad last week was held by the struggling visitor Barq to a 1-1 draw in Azadi Stadium in Tehran.

Veteran Karim Baqeri unleashed a 25-yard drive past Barq keeper Mahdi Haji Osbui on 15 minutes but Behruz Pak-Niyat secured the parity seven minutes from time with a diving header.

Honors were even in two other second-week matches as the host Abu Moslem and Foulad fought to a goalless draw and Eidizadeh canceled out Sepahan’s Mahmud Karimi’s 43rd-minute opener when he scored the home team Esteqlal’s equalizer in the 80th minute in Takhti Stadium in Ahvaz.