Perhaps a welcome break from league football as Esteghlal & Foolad face off to decide who makes it to next stage of the Hazfi Cup. All the pre-match information is available here!
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
It's quite the trip for Foolad when visiting Esteghlal as the cities are 800 kilometers apart.
Esteghlal form and stats
Esteghlal participated in Hazfi Cup the last season, where they reached the final.30 points is a decent return from 15 Persian Gulf Pro League games here at Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium for Esteghlal. The data says 9 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses. 3W-1D-0L is the hard facts regardless of venue in the Hazfi Cup for Esteghlal.
The Esteghlal supporters enjoyed the previous match, watching their team host Gol Gohar in Hazfi Cup and win 2-1.
Preceding that match was the home Persian Gulf Pro League game against Sepahan that was lost 1-2.The Esteghlal fans would probably like to see some more goals scored at their own stadium in the league, the tally being 18 in 15 matches. Esteghlal are not conceding a lot of goals here at Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium in the league, averaging less than one per game. The total is 9 from 15 matches.
Foolad form and stats
Last season their Hazfi Cup adventure ended in the 16th finals.There's been little loot from Foolad's travels as they have only collected 11 points from 15 away games in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Foolad only have 1 win to counter their 6 defeats and 8 draws. Total Hazfi Cup statistics for Foolad: 3 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses. Foolad has drawn their two previous away games.
The Foolad goalkeeper is collecting clean sheets like a laundry worker. It's been 244 league minutes without conceding a goal, and counting.
Foolad are travelling after their nice 2-0 home win in the Hazfi Cup against Malavan.
A 0-0 draw at Padideh Khorasan's stadium before that.The attacking power of Foolad when travelling is not overwhelming with 10 goals scored from 15 league matches away. 15 goals have been conceded by Foolad in these games.
Head 2 Head
Head-to-head totals (for the last ten meetings): Esteghlal won four games, four matches ended with a draw and Foolad has two wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: four / sixTop Goalscorers
  A. Motahari 7 goals | V. Ghafouri 6 goals | M. Ghaedi 6 goals |
Esteghlal missing players
Foolad missing players
| Esteghlal | Foolad | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 13 | Played | P | 12 | 25 | ||
| 15 | 9 | Won | W | 2 | 9 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Drew | D | 4 | 9 | ||
| 4 | 2 | Lost | L | 6 | 7 | ||
| 38 | 21 | Scored | S | 9 | 25 | ||
| 19 | 11 | Conceded | C | 12 | 16 | ||
| 84% | 92% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 83% | 84% | ||
| 64% | 69% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 58% | 56% | ||
| 40% | 46% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 33% | 20% | ||
| 16% | 15% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 4% | ||
| 8% | 8% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | ||
| 40% | 46% | BTTS | BTTS | 42% | 32% | ||
| 52% | 46% | Clean Sheets | C S | 25% | 48% | ||
| 24% | 15% | Failed to Score | F T | 50% | 36% | ||
| 5 | 5.6 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 4.5 | 4.3 | ||
| 2.5 | 2.6 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 2.8 | 3.2 | ||
| 1.4 | 1.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.7 | 1.6 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10.2 | 11.3 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 7.5 | 7 | ||
| 4.3 | 4.5 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 2.1 | 2.1 | ||
| 35% | 35% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 39% | 40% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Persepolis | 30 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 47 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 33 | 67 |
| 2 | Sepahan | 30 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 53 | 24 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 15 | 29 | 65 |
| 3 | Esteghlal | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 36 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 17 | 56 |
| 4 | Tractor Sazi | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 35 | 29 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 45 |
| 5 | Gol Gohar | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 33 | 32 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 45 |
| 6 | Foolad | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 44 |
| 7 | Paykan | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 32 | 30 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 40 |
| 8 | Mes Rafsanjan | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 23 | 29 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 16 | -6 | 39 |
| 9 | Padideh Khorasan | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 31 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 21 | -4 | 38 |
| 10 | Sanat Naft | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 29 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 18 | -5 | 37 |
| 11 | Aluminium Arak | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 25 | 33 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 14 | -8 | 37 |
| 12 | Nassaji Mazandaran | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 34 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 18 | -7 | 33 |
| 13 | Naft Masjed Soleyman | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 31 |
| 14 | Zob Ahan | 30 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 28 | 39 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 21 | -11 | 26 |
| 15 | Saipa | 30 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 34 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 21 | -15 | 26 |
| 16 | Machine Sazi | 30 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 19 | 52 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 26 | -33 | 14 |