Persepolis beat Esteghlal to win 80th Tehran derby [VIDEO]

PressTV – TEHRAN, Persepolis, a popular Iranian soccer team, have managed to beat their arch-rival Esteghlal in the 80th cross-town derby of Tehran as the two soccer giants in the country ended their pro-league season on lower-than-expected rankings.

Ali Alipour’s 65th-minute goal was enough to seal Persepolis’ victory against Esteghlal at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Friday.

The Reds mostly went on the defensive late in the match, with Esteghlal’s players ferociously fighting to level the score-line. However, Turaj Haqverdi’s final whistle left the Blues empty-handed in front of more than 50,000 spectators attending the game.

The 2014-2015 Persian Gulf pro league is to finish later in the day, with Traktorsazi from Tabriz and Naft of Tehran heading to a difficult race to claim the title. Before the derby, Esteghlal and Persepolis sat 6th and 9th in the table.