Pooya Nikan Fall To Omid Pooya In Friendly At Home

Pooya Nikan hosted Omid Pooya at their home ground on 7 January 2026, with kick-off at 11:00am in a 90-minute friendly encounter. The match ended in a 2-0 defeat for Pooya Nikan, as Omid Pooya secured both goals in close-range finishes.

Pooya Nikan lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, deploying Mohamad Hoseyn Baradaran in goal. The defensive line consisted of Sina Mohamadi at right back, Mohamad Sadegh Ramezani and Amir Ali Varasteh as central defenders, and Amir Mahdi Maleki on the left. In midfield, Mohamad Mehdi Bayat and Amir Hossein Nabati operated as the two holding central midfielders. Ahead of them, the attacking trio featured Ali Eyni on the right, Mahdi Moharami centrally, and Ali Reza Ahmadi on the left, supporting lone striker Amir Ali Bahodori. The substitutes available were Arming Moradi, Hesam Ebadi, Alireza Khani, Mahdi Mosavi, Amir Mahdi Hemati, Ehsan Ehsan, Sadra Gelich, and Kasra Gelich.

Early in the match, Ali Reza Ahmadi demonstrated his creative intent with a slide rule key pass in the eighth minute, although it did not lead to a clear chance. However, the visitors took the lead in the 21st minute when Omid Pooya scored from close range with a right-footed finish, breaking the deadlock and putting Pooya Nikan on the back foot.

Pooya Nikan’s defence showed resilience, with Amir Ali Varasteh making a crucial tackle in the 30th minute to disrupt an Omid Pooya attack, though it did not prevent a chance. The first half concluded with Pooya Nikan trailing by a goal.

At half-time, Pooya Nikan made two tactical substitutions. Hesam Ebadi replaced striker Amir Ali Bahodori, while Arming Moradi came on for central midfielder Amir Hossein Nabati, signalling a shift in approach to chase the game. Shortly after the restart, Ebadi was forced off due to injury in the 56th minute, with Alireza Khani coming on to fill the void.

Defensively, Mohamad Sadegh Ramezani was alert in the 62nd minute, clearing a header to quell another Omid Pooya threat, though the visitors continued to press. Pooya Nikan made further tactical changes in the 70th minute, bringing on Mahdi Mosavi for attacking midfielder Mahdi Moharami to inject fresh energy into the midfield.

Mosavi quickly contributed with a long pass in the 75th minute, attempting to unlock the opposition defence, followed by Arming Moradi’s own long pass a minute later, both key passes failing to create clear-cut chances. At the same time, Amir Mahdi Hemati replaced Mohamad Mehdi Bayat in midfield, aiming to bolster control and creativity.

In the 79th minute, a tactical switch saw Ehsan Ehsan replace goalkeeper Mohamad Hoseyn Baradaran, an unusual move perhaps to alter dynamics at the back. This was followed by two more substitutions in quick succession: Sadra Gelich came on for left defender Amir Mahdi Maleki, and Kasra Gelich replaced left attacking midfielder Ali Reza Ahmadi in the 80th minute, signalling a significant reshuffle in the final stages.

Alireza Khani continued to influence play with a slide rule key pass in the 85th minute, but again, no chance was fashioned. The visitors sealed the victory in the 86th minute with a second close-range goal, doubling their advantage and effectively ending Pooya Nikan’s hopes of a comeback.

Despite numerous tactical changes and attempts to create opportunities, Pooya Nikan were unable to find a way past Omid Pooya’s defence or reduce the deficit. The match concluded 2-0 in favour of the visitors, who capitalised on their chances with clinical finishing.