Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tabriz: An own goal dashed AFC Champions League 2014 contenders Tractorsazi Tabriz’s hopes to reach the top spot in the Iran Pro League table’s as they drew 2-2 with Zob Ahan at the Yadegar Emam Stadium on Friday.
An own goal by Navid Khosh Hava on full time undid Tractorsazi’s 2-1 lead and the one point gained from the draw did not help them to leapfrog table toppers Persepolis who in another match of the day thrashed Mes Kerman 6-0. Both Tractorsazi and Persepolis are now sitting on 33 points after 18 matches played apiece.
Milad Gharibi gave Zobahan the lead with a goal on 16 minutes but Habib Gordani equalised 20 minutes later before the game went into the break.
Mehdi Karimian converted a penalty on 84 minutes to turn over the lead to Tractorsazi and just as the game looked heading towards a win that would have propelled them to the table top, Hava bulged his own net forcing sharing of spoils.
Tractorsazi, debutants in the 2013 ACL where they won only one game and failed to reach the knockout stage, are in Group C of next year’s edition and will begin their campaign against Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia at home on February 26 next year.