Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Ario Eslamshahr (5th, 58 pts) held a 26-point advantage over Shahre Raz (17th, 32 pts). Shahre Raz had been over-performing their table position on recent form: 4th in the league over the last five rounds against 17th overall. In league terms the two rates read 0.79/1 for Shahre Raz and 0.97/0.53 for Ario Eslamshahr (scored/conceded per game); the competition average is 0.88.
A win had eluded Shahre Raz for 8 matches. Ario Eslamshahr had not lost in 13 games. From the last five rounds, Shahre Raz held 3 points of 15 and Ario Eslamshahr 11.
The venue was Grand Shiraz Stadium in Shīrāz, with room for 50,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-1.