Title: A Crisis in Attack: Esteghlal’s Strikers Face Intense Scrutiny
A Concerning Start to the Season
As Iran’s new football season gets underway, Esteghlal Football Club has completed a total of eight official matches. These include one fixture in the Super Cup, five in the Persian Gulf Pro League, and two in the AFC Champions League. However, the statistics and performance of the team’s strikers so far point to a serious crisis in the frontline attack.
The Strikers’ Goal Drought
The club’s primary attackers—Mohammadreza Azadi, Saeed Saharkhizan, and Dakenz Nazon—have collectively failed to score a single goal in any of these matches. The only notable contributions from the attacking line have been a single assist by Saharkhizan in the league match against Tractor and one assist from Nazon in the game against Zob Ahan.
This record highlights a clear deficiency in Esteghlal’s offensive unit—an area where players are expected to play the primary role in scoring goals and securing points for the team. The lack of goals, combined with the overall unsatisfactory quality of their performances, has significantly increased concern among the team’s supporters.
Implications for Domestic and Continental Campaigns
With Esteghlal currently engaged in critical competitions in both the domestic league and the Asian Champions League, a pressing need for goals is evident. A continuation of this trend could adversely affect the team’s future in both tournaments. Fans and analysts alike argue that the team’s attacking department requires an urgent and serious reassessment to resolve this developing issue promptly. The club’s management has invested considerable resources in these players, who have yet to meet the high expectations placed upon them.