MNA – High-flight football squads, Persepolis, Esteqlal of Ahvaz, Sepahan, and Saba Battery emerged the winners at Iran’s League Cup matches Tuesday.
The blue-shirted Esteqlal stormed into the quarterfinals as it handed home team Pas a 4-1 humiliating defeat in Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium in western Tehran.
Under outspoken manager Firuz Karimi, Esteqlal opened the scoring after 38 minutes through striker Fereydun Fazli who netted with an overhead kick.
Ahmad Al Ne’meh doubled the cushion with a powerful 30-yard free-kick four minutes into the second half.
Pas keeper Hassan Rudbarian was forced one minute later to take the ball out of the net as defender Bijan Kushki scored an own goal, heading a Ne’meh long ball past the advancing Rudbarian.
The home side pulled one back in the 67th minute when Omid Khuraj headed home from close range.
Esteqlal, however, added the fourth five minutes deep into stoppage time, with Fazli clearing Rudbarian and leaving skipper Saeid Ramezani alone with the unguarded net to find.
In the Azadi Stadium, also in western Tehran, Persepolis booked a spot in the quarters with a 2-0 win over the Shiraz-based Mersad.
Striker Hossein Badamaki spotted left winger Alireza Nikbakht-Vahedi with a long cross behind the box in the 16th minute and the national midfielder dribbled past his marker and steered the ball into the net with a right-footed drive.
Persepolis was denied on 50 minutes as Massud Zarei’s 25-yard shot rattled the crossbar.
The Reds, however, made it 2-0 three minutes into the additional time, with substitute Ehsan Khorsandi diving to head home a neat cross from fullback Shayth Rezaii.
Sepahan also snatched a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tarbiat from Yazd in Isfahan’s Fuladshahr Stadium, advancing to the last four.
Sepahan’s Saeid Bayat celebrated his double in the third and 28th minutes and his teammate Hadi Aqili converted a spot-kick on 33 minutes.
The visitor struck two through Moslem Mohammadnejad and Ali Beig-Zavieh on 16 and 52 minutes respectively.
Saba Battery also cruised into the semifinals with a 1-0 away win over Abadan’s San’at Naft in Omidieh Stadium.
Amir-Hossein Yussefi scored the sole goal of the match 16 minutes from time.