TEHRAN - Persepolis defender Giorgi Gvelesiani believes that the Iran Professional League (IPL) title race is not dependent on the result of the Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal.

The two Iranian giants will have to lock horns on Sunday at the Azadi Stadium in the capital of Iran.

Sepahan and Esteghlal lead the IPL table with 55 points, one point above Persepolis with four weeks remaining.

“It will be a really tough game,” said Gvelisiani about the thrilling derby.

“Esteghlal are a very competitive team. However, in my opinion, it won’t be like a final match for the league because there is also Sepahan who are a great team. Sepahan are also in the marathon of winning the league, so we will see what happens in the future games,” added the Georgian defender.

Gvelisiani scored two goals in the current season’s first-leg match between Esteghlal and Persepolis, helping his side to earn a 2-2 match.

“That game was very special. Although derbies are always important, that game was not very important regarding the table condition of both teams but the upcoming match can be decisive for the championship. Fans will come to the stadium. We know both teams have a lot of fans. It is important to play well in front of our fans and most importantly to win against Esteghlal,” said the 31-year-old player.

He is the number-one penalty taker of the Reds and has hit the target from the penalty spot many times. Gvelisiani converted two penalty kicks on Friday night to help Persepolis stay in the title race by beating Mes 3-1 in Kerman.

“Currently, I have six goals in League and three goals in Hazfi Cup. I don’t know what will happen in the future. I believe practice is the key to my success and I almost practice penalties every day during training sessions,” he said.

Will Persepolis win the title at the end of the season?

“I always say that it is impossible to predict football. However, our fans know that we will fight until the end. If we win the future games, we will be champions, we have to wait and see what happens” he concluded.