Dominating is Not Winning: Espérance Learns a Hard Lesson
The "Sang et Or" learned a valuable lesson yesterday: dominating a game is not the same as winning it. Their lack of finishing skills ultimately cost them the match.
A Tough Opponent
The Stade Malien, Espérance's first opponent in the Champions League group stage, gave them a run for their money by adopting a low-block approach, refusing to play their game. By retreating into their own half, the Malians created a numerical advantage, significantly reducing the space available to the "Sang et Or" attackers.
Missed Opportunities
Despite dominating the game, Espérance struggled to capitalize on the opportunities they created. The first attempt came from Chiheb Jebali, who accelerated into the penalty area but saw his shot graze the crossbar (5'). Three minutes later, on a corner kick taken by Kouceila Boualia, Jebali's header hit the post (8').
Intense First Half
The end of the first half was just as intense. A great opportunity was missed by Florian Danho, who was found to be offside when he tried to finish off a pass from the left by Konaté and a rebound from Boualia that forced the Malian goalkeeper to make a poor clearance (38'). Three minutes later, Danho missed a monstrous opportunity: Konaté made a run down the left, served Jebali, who delivered a precise cross for the Franco-Ivorian. With a clear shot on goal and face-to-face with the opposing goalkeeper, Danho shot lamentably over the bar (41').
More Missed Chances
The second half was no different from the first, despite the changes made by Maher Kanzari. The Malians remained faithful to their style of play, preferring to stay compact in their own half while applying high pressure on the ball carrier. That being said, there were two more lamentable misses. First, at 70': Ogbelu served Danho behind the defenders, whose shot was cleared by the Malian goalkeeper before Konaté missed his shot, wide to the right of the goal. Then, there was Danho's shot from the left side of the goal, which was cleared by Traoré (78').
A Frustrating Match
Until the end, the "Sang et Or" tried to unlock the Malian defense. In vain. Their lack of finishing skills was evident, but they had created some beautiful opportunities that should not have been missed.
Lineup:
EST: Ben Saïd, Ben Ali (Bouzaiene 80'), Ben Hmida, Jelassi, Meriah, Ogbelu, Tka, Jebali, Boualia (Jabri 63'), Danho (Diakité 80'), and Konaté (Maacha 88').
