TEHRAN- Persepolis and Esteghlal played out a goalless draw in the 6th week of Iran Professional League in front of more than 75,000 fans in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Friday.

It was the first goalless draw in Tehran derby after four games. 
Persepolis dominated in the first half as they created a couple of chances on Esteghlal goal but they couldn’t break the deadlock. On the other hand Esteghlal were dangerous on counter attacks however Kaveh Rezaei couldn’t convert two good chances for the blues.
Persepolis dropped to second place with 12 points while Esteghlal remain in 14th spot with just four points from six games. 
Esteghlal coach Alireza Mansourian who has yet to grab a win after six weeks, narrowly escaped being fired with a draw in derby.
“I’m not satisfied with the result because we came to win the derby. We could have scored two goals in the first half but Alireza Beiranvand had a couple of great saves. I believe we can return to the top with the support of our fans,” Mansourian told reporters in the post-match press conference.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t win the derby while we had great chances. However I’m satisfied with my player’s performance as they had the ball and possession for most of the 90 minutes. I’d like to say that this performance has made me feel optimistic about the future,” Persepolis coach Branko Ivankovic told reporters.
Persepolis will next take on Sepahan in Isfahan while Esteghlal meet Zob Ahan in Tehran.
SG