Espérance Sportive de Tunis made a powerful statement on Saturday afternoon, sweeping aside US Ben Guerdane with an emphatic 4–0 victory at the Radès Stadium in their rescheduled matchday 15 fixture of Ligue 1. A dominant performance from start to finish allowed the Blood and Gold to restart the league in style and move clear at the top of the standings.

From the opening minutes, Espérance imposed their rhythm and territorial dominance. Yan Sasse was the first to test the waters with an early effort wide of the target (15’), before the visitors briefly thought they had earned a penalty at the 20-minute mark. VAR intervention, however, correctly overturned the decision, awarding a free kick just outside the box instead.

US Ben Guerdane’s only real moment of danger in the first half came through a swift counterattack led by Mamadou Touré, but goalkeeper Memmiche reacted perfectly, smothering the ball and calming his defence (22’). Espérance quickly resumed their attacking pressure, with Sasse trying his luck again from distance (24’).

The breakthrough arrived in the 32nd minute. Tka burst forward from the left, exchanged a clever one-two with Sasse and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to open the scoring (1–0). Relentless pressing followed, with the US Ben Guerdane defence visibly struggling to cope. Despite several long-range attempts and a late header from Jabri just before the break, the score remained unchanged at half-time, though Espérance clearly deserved a larger lead.

The second half began at full speed, and Espérance doubled their advantage almost immediately. In the 48th minute, Sasse combined beautifully with Keita, broke into the box and fired a powerful shot into the net (2–0). The Brazilian winger continued to shine and was unlucky not to add an assist moments later, when Jabri’s finish was ruled out for offside (56’).

Radès was treated to a moment of brilliance in the 63rd minute. Keita picked out substitute Boualia, who unleashed a stunning, curling strike from distance that left the goalkeeper helpless. A spectacular goal that made it 3–0 and effectively sealed the contest.

The introduction of Youssef Msakni added further composure and creativity to Espérance’s play. The captain came close to setting up another goal after breaking through on goal and squaring the ball to Danho, but once again the flag was raised for offside (72’). US Ben Guerdane attempted to step out of their defensive shell, but without real threat.

Ten minutes from time, Espérance capped their afternoon with a fourth goal. Young substitute Arkam Tabboubi showed maturity beyond his years, winning the ball, driving forward and finishing confidently to make it 4–0 (80’). The crowd was nearly treated to a fifth shortly after, as Msakni delicately lobbed goalkeeper Karkouba, only to see the ball crash against the crossbar (87’).

At full time, the verdict was clear. Espérance delivered a convincing, high-quality performance, combining defensive solidity with attacking flair. This comprehensive win sends a strong message to their rivals and leaves the Blood and Gold alone at the top of Ligue 1 — an ideal restart and a promising sign for the challenges ahead.

EST Lineup: Memmiche, Keita, Ben Hamida(c), Guenichi, Jelassi, Ogbelu, Tka (Laifi 76'), Jebali (Tabboubi 76'), Sasse (Dahno 59'), Konaté (Boualia 59') and Jabri (Msakni 59').
Booking: Jelassi, Keita, Ben Hamida.