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MNA – Persepolis struck two before halftime to
whitewash Paykan 2-0 in the fifth week of the sixth Iran Pro League (IPL)
here Monday.
The Reds, whose last week superb performance in the 4-0 rout of Ahvazi side
Esteqlal forced over 50,000 faithful to flock to the Azadi Stadium, played a
smooth, crowd-pleasing football in the first half.
Paykan, however, missed a scoring chance after nine minutes when new signing
Mohsen Bayatinia sent the ball wide above the woodwork.
Persepolis fans unfurled their flags and blew their horns in the 16th minute
as Ehsan Khorsandi deftly picked a Saha long ball before beating his marker
Mehdi Tajik and keeper Kurosh Moradi with a classy drive from an acute
angle.
Khorsandi turned provider on 38 minutes, leaving Alireza Nikbakht-Vahedi
alone with the empty net, but the midfielder unbelievably steered the ball
over the crossbar from close range.
Striker Hossein Badamaki twice duped Paykan’s Mehdi Nuri behind the box two
minutes later, sending a chill down Moradi’s spine with a right-footed shot
that dangerously passed the far post.
Moradi made a goalkeeping blunder three minutes from the interval by
unnecessarily leaving the woodwork to palm away a cross in a crowded box. It
was enough for Nikbakht to compensate for his loss, chesting down the
rebound to find the unguarded net with a perfect lob.
Although Persepolis was far from its first-half dazzling form, it should
have at least doubled the scoring after the restart.
Mehrzad Ma’danchi was given enough space and time on 77 minutes to get onto
the scoresheet in a man-to-man challenge with Moradi, but the striker
dillydallied to be dispossessed of the ball behind the 5.5-yard area.
Ma’danchi spoiled his second chance on the last minute, surprisingly heading
a Badamaki cross above the crossbar.
Paykan, in a rare attack, fired home through Bayatinia nine minutes from
normal time, but the referee Mahmud Rafiei ruled out the opener as the
striker was flagged offside.
The victory helped Persepolis move up to the second spot with one match in
hand.
In other matches, the nine-man SAIPA thrashed lowly Rah Ahan 3-1, the
last-gasp Sepahan came from behind to overcome the visiting Barq 3-1, and
Malavan stunned host Pas 2-1.
SAIPA took the top spot provisionally.
League holder Esteqlal of Tehran entertains Saba Battery in the Azadi
Stadium Tuesday night.
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