Tractor took all three points against Paykan in the opening round of the Persian Gulf Pro League regular season on Thursday. The hosts won 2-0 at home, extending their unbeaten run to six matches. S. Moghanlou was the hero, scoring twice before the interval ended.
His first goal came in the thirty-fourth minute, a moment that shifted the game's momentum. By then Paykan had already seen a man sent off, though the exact minute remains unclear. The red card changed everything, and Moghanlou made sure of it with a second strike just before the break in the forty-fifth minute.
Tractor kept things disciplined throughout, picking up no yellow or red cards despite the advantage. Paykan's dismissal left them chasing the game for long stretches. To be fair, they had chances to respond, but the extra man made all the difference.
The statistics tell a simple story: six wins and draws for Tractor in six games, sixteen points sitting them top of the table. Paykan sit seventh with eight points from two victories, two draws and two defeats. The gap between them was already there before kickoff.
Tractor's recent form reads like a title challenge in miniature. Three clean sheets in a row before this match, including victories over Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai and Gol Gohar. Paykan's last five shows more inconsistency — draws against Sepahan and Aluminium Arak, but losses to Mes Rafsanjan and Chadormalu.
By then, the result felt inevitable rather than surprising. Tractor's lead grows to nineteen points if they maintain this pace, while Paykan face a long road back from seventh. The match decided nothing dramatic, but it set the tone for both sides.