This afternoon at the Radès Stadium, Espérance Sportive de Tunis were held to a second consecutive league draw (1-1), this time against Union Sportive Monastirienne, in Matchday 2 of Ligue 1. It was a game marked by clear Blood and Gold dominance but also by a lack of finishing touch that proved costly.

Espérance started brightly. In the 20th minute, following a deep through ball from Meriah, Ben Ali cleverly squared the ball across the box to Konaté. The striker, perfectly positioned on the penalty spot, unleashed a first-time strike that gave Abdessalam Hlaoui no chance. 1-0 – a deserved reward for Espérance’s dominance.

In the second half, the Blood and Gold maintained the same tempo. In the 52nd minute, Belaïli forced Hlaoui into a sharp save. Seven minutes later, a neat triangular move involving Belaïli, Ben Hamida and Konaté came close, but the ball drifted just wide for a goal kick.

The match turned in the 63rd minute when Monastir, previously harmless, struck the crossbar through Abdelli after a quick counter-attack – a warning sign that went unheeded. Four minutes later, a midfield turnover allowed Abdelli, once again, to skip past Meriah and beat Ben Saïd with a precise finish. 1-1, and it was all to do again.

Despite Espérance’s determination to regain the lead, the finishing touch was missing – even more so after Belaïli left the pitch in the 74th minute. Keita tried his luck on multiple occasions (84’, 88’), but his efforts lacked accuracy or power. Ogbelu also squandered a clear opportunity.

The final whistle confirmed a frustrating result: an Espérance side that dominated and led, yet failed to kill off the game, allowing Monastir to leave with a valuable point thanks to a clinical moment. With two draws from two games, the Blood and Gold already find themselves four points behind the top of the table – a gap they must quickly close to avoid playing catch-up in the title race.

EST line-up: Ben Saïd, Ben Ali (Keita 74'), Ben Hamida, Tougai, Meriah (c), Ogbelu, Tka, Konaté (Taboubi 82'), Jebali (Bouassida 90’+1), Jabri and Belaïli (Dhaou 74').
Booked: Ben Ali.