Tehran – A brace from Mehdi Taremi helped Persepolis finish off Sepahan in Isfahan while Esteghlal Tehran finally earned their first win of the season against Zob Ahan.
On 20 September Esteghlal defeated Zob Ahan 2-1 at Azadi Stadium with Omid Ebrahimi converting a penalty late in the first half and Ali Ghorbani adding a second five minutes into the second half. Morteza Tabrizi scored sixteen minutes later for Zob Ahan but they were unable to find the equalizer.
Tractor Sazi continued their excellent form with a 3-0 home victory over FC Mashhad. Captain Mohammad Iranpourian scored from the penalty spot in the 3rd minute while Farzad Hatami and Mehdi Kiani added goals in the second half.
The famous Gholamreza Enayati scored the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win for Saba Qom over visitors Saipa. The forty year-old striker scored in the 44th minute as he continues to add to his career IPL goal tally in his third stint with Saba Qom.
IPL Champions Esteghlal Khuzestan were defeated 3-2 at home against Paykan as they fought back from a two goal deficit in a wild match where all goals were scored in the final twenty minutes.
Nigerian striker Godwin Mensha scored two goals in the 75th and 80th minutes to give Paykan a 2-0 lead.
Midfielder Hassan Beyt Saeed cut the lead in half five minutes later and an own-goal from Armenian defender Levon Hayrapetyan five minutes later tied up the score at 2-2, causing the fans in Ahvaz to erupt in joy. However, former TM defender Amir Hossein Sadeghi ruined the fun for the home supporters when he scored the winning goal in stoppage time to give Paykan a 3-2 win.
Gostaresh Foolad hosted Foolad Khuzestan in the only scoreless draw of the week on 21 September.
Sanat Naft Abadan had a 3-1 lead over Padideh in Mashad after Mohammad Shadkam scored his second goal of the match in the 84th minute but goals in stoppage time from Moein Abbasian and Mohammad Ali Mardani earned Padideh a valuable point in an entertaining 3-3 draw.
Naft Tehran defeated Machine Sazi 2-1 at home and now sit in the third position with twelve points.
Persepolis took on Sepahan in Isfahan and it was Omid Alishah who put the reds in front after fifteen minutes.
Eight minutes later TM winger Ehsan Hajsafi felt back at home when he scored the equalizer to level the score at 1-1.
But a brace from fellow TM striker Mehdi Taremi with goals in the 61st and 74th minutes gave Persepolis a huge 3-1 victory.
Tractor Sazi and Persepolis remain top of the table with fifteen points but the Red Wolves of Tabriz currently hold the edge on goal difference.
The IPL will now go on break again as TM head coach Carlos Queiroz will need to decide who to call up for Iran’s upcoming qualifiers against Uzbekistan and South Korea in October.