Esteghlal saw off Mes Shahre Babak 4-0 in the opening round of the Pro-League Persian Gulf, a result that immediately reinforced the gap between the two sides. The hosts, sitting third in the table with twelve points from six games, made no mistake against a visitors' side rooted in sixteenth place with just four points. Mes Shahre Babak had managed four draws and two defeats, while Esteghlal remained unbeaten with three wins and three draws. By then, the pattern was already clear.
Esteghlal struck twice before the interval, Saharkhizan netting at forty-fifth minute and again at forty-fifth-plus-one. The visitors offered little resistance, and the hosts paid for a sloppy opening. Saharkhizan added a third at fifty-fourth minute, and though the match was effectively over, Esteghlal pushed on. Eslami found the net at eighty-eighth minute, and Gholizadeh completed the scoring with two goals at ninetieth and ninety-third plus three.
And here's the thing about a scoreline like that — it rarely tells the full story. Esteghlal carried one yellow card, while Mes Shahre Babak went clean. The statistics don't matter much when one side dominates from the first whistle, but the visitors simply had no answers. Esteghlal's recent form showed stability, with wins against Fajr Sepasi and Mes Rafsanjan, though they had stumbled against Al-Hussein and Shams Azar Kazvin. Mes Shahre Babak's run was mixed, including a 2-0 victory over Naft Gachsaran but also defeats to Nassaji Mazandaran.
The result leaves Esteghlal in a strong position after the opening round, while Mes Shahre Babak start the campaign with a heavy defeat. The hosts remain three points clear of the mid-table pack, and the visitors are already looking at the bottom. To be fair, Esteghlal's unbeaten record suggests they're built for endurance, not just one-off performances. Mes Shahre Babak will need to find something quickly — four draws don't win titles.