Tractor FC overtook Sepahan as league leaders in the Iran Pro League with 41 points after beating Zob Ahan 1-0.

 

Sepahan drew 1-1 with Malavan to trail by one point.

 

The Tractor-Zob Ahan match went down to the wire, with the former’s Croatian winger Domagoj Drozdek scoring the only goal of the match on the dot of regulation time. Zob Ahan, meanwhile, will rue their first defeat after four back-to-back draws. 

Sepahan took the lead in the third minute through Reza Shekari against 11th-placed Malavan but conceded in the 60th to Amirreza Afsordeh. 

 

Third-placed Persepolis, who are four points behind the leaders, eked out a 1-0 win over Gol Gohar thanks to a Serdar Dursun strike in the 73rd minute.

 

Foolad lost for the first time in seven matches when they fell 2-0 to Kheybar Khorramabad. Esteghlal Khozestan, meanwhile, halted their seven-match winless streak with a 1-0 win over Shams Azar. 

 

Bottom team Havadar also had a good day out when they broke an eight-match winless run with a 2-1 defeat of Aluminium Arak.

 

In other matches, Nassaji Mazandaran and Chadormalu played to a goalless stalemate, as did Rafsanjan and Esteghlal FC.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant outplayed Punjab FC 3-0, with Australian international Jamie Maclaren scoring two (56th, 90th) and his India counterpart Liston Colaco adding to their scoreline in the 63rd minute. 

 

The Kolkata-based club continue to dominate the Indian Super League with 46 points from 20 matches, 10 ahead of Goa, who have played one game less. Mohun Bagan are now on an eight-match undefeated streak.

Goa moved into second place with a 2-1 win over Odisha, who saw Lalthathanga Khawlhring scoring an own goal in the 47th minute and Ahmed Jahouh sent off in the 73rd.

 

Third-placed Jamshedpur lost 3-0 to Bengaluru, who moved into fourth. Edgar Medez opened accounts two minutes before the break and Alberto Noguera settled the match with a double in the 57th and 82nd minutes.

Odisha’s earlier match, a 2-2 draw with NorthEast United, saw the latter’s Alaaeddine Ajaraie securing a brace (67th, 83rd) to top the league’s scoring chart with 18 goals.

 

The Moroccan, however, failed to find the back of the net in their next game as NorthEast lost 2-0 to Mumbai City, who are fifth in the table and on a four-match undefeated run.

 

Other matches were contested by the four teams anchoring the table. Chennaiyin defeated East Bengal 3-0 and Hyderabad beat bottom club Mohammedan SC 3-1.