The Blues Plan to Launch Their Season by Defeating the Leader on Their Home Turf in Zarzis
The Press — Having narrowly missed out on a win against Etoile at Mustapha Ben Jannet, USM can't help but feel regretful, but time is not on their side, knowing that a perilous away game awaits them this afternoon in Zarzis against the league leader. So far, although the Blues have only won once in five games, they have the merit of remaining unbeaten and having a solid defense, even if they can't rely on a powerful attack. At the ESZ test today in Zarzis, Montassar Louhichi's men are determined to make a big impact by taking down the league leader on their home turf. This is a achievable goal, but it will require rolling up their sleeves to defeat a tough team expertly led by Anis Boujelbene. After the departures of top scorer Hazem Mastouri, dynamic player Moses Orkuma, and talented Louay Tayi, USM has lost some of its offensive luster, but the team's balance has not been compromised. The team is not lacking in key players, including striker Aymen Harzi, goalkeeper Hlaoui, and playmaker Moez Hadj Ali, while they are also expecting a resurgence from defender Mahmoud Ghorbal, a reliable player who has been somewhat affected by the interest from Egyptian club Ezzamalek. However, the USM group is not lacking in assets or alternatives, but they will need to raise their level when facing ESZ today. Better Optimization of Wildcards Looking at the predicted starting lineup for this afternoon, Montassar Louhichi will likely opt for continuity despite the semi-failure against ESS, but should better optimize his wildcards during the game. From the start, the team would likely feature Abdessalam Hlaoui in goal, Fabrice Zeguei and Raed Chikhaoui in central defense, Rayan Azouz on the right flank, Youssef Herch on the left, Osmane Diané and Yassine Dridi as midfielders, Haj Ali as a playmaker, Yassine Amri on the right wing, Aymen Harzi on the left wing, and Youssef Abdelli as a striker. Of course, nothing is set in stone, and Louhichi can also count on central defender Dhiaeddine Jouini, left-back Seif Saber, Ivorian pivot Alpha Stéphane Sidibé, Nigerian striker Esson Victor Musa, another striker and ESS transfer Brahim Souissi, and finally, left winger and former Béjaois player Aziz Abid. At first glance, the Ribat team has the cards in place to defeat Espérance Sportive de Zarzis, as long as they put in the ingredients and believe in it with more conviction.
