Tonight, the Radès Olympic Stadium witnessed a brilliant performance from the Blood and Gold against GD Sagrada Esperança in the 6th matchday of the CAF Champions League group stage. Espérance de Tunis achieved a resounding 4-1 victory, with Jabri delivering a stellar performance, scoring a hat-trick.

From the very first minute, the tone was set. Jabri, a true maestro, unleashed a powerful shot that crashed against the post. There was no period of observation for Reghecampf's men, who were determined to take control of the game. Despite this initial dominance, a scare arose in the 8th minute when a quick counter-attack from Sagrada saw their shot hit Ben Saïd's crossbar. This was a wake-up call from an opposition that refused to be crushed without reacting.

The response was swift. In the 16th minute, Ogbelu, omnipresent in midfield, intercepted a crucial ball and delivered a pinpoint pass to Belaïli. The latter provided a perfect assist to Jabri, who simply had to tap the ball into the net to open the scoring, 1-0. Two minutes later, Jabri came close to doubling the lead, but his shot, from an Ogbelu cross, went just wide.

The Blood and Gold machine was up and running, and in the 22nd minute, Sasse beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. His powerful shot left Simao with no chance, 2-0 to Espérance. The opportunities kept coming, including a combination between Bouzaïène and Sasse in the 34th minute, but Simao made another save for his team.

Just as the teams were heading into half-time with a comfortable lead, a defensive error from the home side allowed Dabonda to pull a goal back in added time (45’+1). The half-time score was 2-1, after a strong first half marked by 7 shots on target from the Blood and Gold.

The second half resumed with the same intensity. In the 55th minute, Bouzaïène delivered a perfect cross from the right wing. Jabri, imperious, headed the ball home, making it 3-1. Four minutes later, from a brilliant pass by Belaïli, Jabri completed his hat-trick with clinical precision, 4-1.

After this fourth goal, the coach made several substitutions, allowing some players to rest. The tempo of the game dropped considerably, but Espérance maintained total control until the final whistle.

This clear victory allows Espérance de Tunis to finish top of Group D with 13 points. A very promising performance for the rest of the competition, with a confident Jabri and a team gaining momentum.

Well done to the Blood and Gold for this memorable evening, which confirms, once again, their status as favourites on the African stage!

EST Line-up: Ben Saïd, Bouzaïène (Ben Ali 69'), Ben Mohamed (Ben Hamida 69'), Smiri, Tougaï(c), Aholou, Ogbelu (Azouni 73'), Konaté (Tka 60'), Sasse, Belaïli and Jabri (Maâcha 60').
Booked: Jabri, Ben Ali.

Groupe D Standings