TEHRAN – Sepahan and Saba Battery Friday booked berths in the final of Iran’s League Cup.

Visitor Sepahan salvaged a 1-1 draw against the red-clad Persepolis three minutes before the final whistle in front of over 100,000 home fans in Azadi Stadium.

Persepolis conceded a penalty kick as midfielder Pejman Nuri tripped substitute striker Hossein Papi in the box. Defender Hadi Aqili canceled out Persepolis midfielder Farzad Ashubi’s 61st minute opener from the spot, sending Persepolis keeper Farshid Karimi the wrong way.

The two sides failed to score in the first extra-time, but Sepahan supersub Mahmud Karimi upset the Reds in the dugout and stands with his hat-trick in eight minutes.

Karimi reveled in porous Persepolis defense line, celebrating his treble in the third, fifth, and 11th minutes of the second extra-time.

Sepahan was reduced to 10 men eight minutes from time when Jaba Mojiri received his marching orders from referee Mohsen Qahremani and his teammate Abdolwahab Abolheil was sent off two minutes later for a wild foul on Persepolis skipper Karim Baqeri.

In another semifinal in Shahid Derakhshan Stadium off Tehran, Saba Battery beat Paykan 2-1 in extra-time.

Alireza Abbasfard took the lead for Saba seconds before the break with a low left drive and Meysam Rezapur scored the equalizer on 58 minutes.

Saba, however, had the last laugh through Yadollah Akbari who sent a corner into top left side of Paykan four minutes from the second extra-time.

Sepahan and Saba Battery will play in the first leg of final showdown next Friday.