Esteghlal FC, coached by the Portuguese Ricardo Sá Pinto, received and beat Esteghlal Khuzestan 1-0 this Tuesday, in a match on the 18th round of the Iranian league. One thing is certain: this calendar year, Sá Pinto does not know the taste of defeat. After a victory to open 2026 against Sepahan, by 2-1, followed by two consecutive goalless draws, the team led by the Portuguese coach won again, this time against the team that occupies 12th place. The goal of the match was scored by Saman Fallah in the 56th minute, who scored the second goal of the season on his personal account. With this triumph, Ricardo Sá Pinto's Esteghlal FC reached 32 points in the Iranian league and equals, in terms of points, first place in the league table, now occupied, by condition, by Tractor, who also won this Tuesday, away, against Aluminum Arak, 1-0. Persepolis and Sepahan, who have 31 points each, have one game less: they only play on Wednesday.