Dominant Performance, but Room for Improvement
The "Sang et Or" have maintained their unbeaten streak in the classico, but their victory was not as convincing as it could have been. They could have done better. According to La Presse, it has been four years since Espérance has won the classico against Etoile, and this trend continued last Sunday. However, the narrow victory does not reflect the team's total dominance throughout the match, particularly in the second half.
This suggests that the score could have been more significant, but on several clear occasions, the ball barely missed the frame, such as Houssem Tka's powerful shot that passed just wide (51'), Chiheb Jebali's diving header that went wide (54'), or Kouceila Boualia's strike that hit the crossbar (62'). On the last two mentioned actions, Youssef Belaïli was the author of the decisive pass. Moreover, if the Algerian left winger was able to benefit from a large space to maneuver, it was thanks to the center-forward Florian Danho, who, although he did not score in the classico, heavily pressured the Etoile defense, allowing the Algerian to create openings.
However, a flaw persists in Espérance's offensive strategy: the finishing on certain actions where the attackers make the most difficult part, only to miss the frame by a hair's breadth.
Ben Saïd's Crucial Reflex
In a match where the attackers played with fire, sometimes missing the unstoppable, Béchir Ben Saïd made a decisive save with his left hand at 69' before Guenichi completely cleared the danger. This save undoubtedly constituted a turning point in the match, as if the ball had crossed the line, the scenario might have been different.
What is also positive in defense is that there are alternative solutions. With Mohamed Amine Tougaï's injury at the end of the first half, Khalil Guenichi dropped back to support Yassine Meriah in the axis, ceding his place in the midfield to Onuche Ogbelu. And when Chiheb Jebali came out and Hamza Jelassi entered, Guenichi resumed his position in the middle. In short, the richness of the squad in the three compartments has not yet translated into results in big matches. There is still work to be done at the attack level to improve the success rate.
Given the volume of play developed, the synchronization, and the combinations that allow for piercing defenses, the scores should be more significant in high-stakes matches. And when we know that the Champions League is the reference for success for the "Sang et Or", it is clear that adjustments need to be made, particularly at the attack level, to hope to go far.
