10-Man Esteghlal Defeats Sepahan: IPL
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Esteghlal football team defeated Sepahan 2-1 here in the Iran Professional League (IPL) on Saturday.
Esteghlal’s chance of booking a place in the 2021 AFC Champions League suffered a blow in the 44th minute after Arash Rezavand was sent off for receiving his second yellow card.
But Malian forward Cheick Diabate put Esteghlal into the lead in the 52nd minute from the penalty spot.
In the 65th minute, Sepahan defender Shayan Mosleh scored an own goal.
Shortly after, Sepahan put Esteghlal under pressure but the visiting team’s strikers lacked the cutting edge.
With eight minutes remaining, Mohammad Mohebbi pulled a goal back with a shot from outside the box.
Esteghlal moved up to second place with 48 points, 15 points behind IPL champion Persepolis.
Furthermore, Shahin Bushehr kept alive its hopes of escaping the drop zone with a 2-0 win over Pars Jonoubi in Bushehr derby.
Foolad was held to a 0-0 draw by Gol Gohar in Sirjan and Nassaji and Persepolis shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Ghaemshahr.
Rouhollah Bagheri scored a stunning goal in the fifth minute but Ali Alipour equalized the match in the 19th from the penalty spot.
