MC Alger kept MB Rouissat at bay in Ligue 1 with a 2:0 victory on Thursday night. The hosts opened their campaign with a win, closing out the third round of the regular season at home. Two goals separated the sides as the match reached its conclusion.
C. Boukholda marked his first start with a goal in the seventh minute, putting the home side ahead early. The visitors tried to respond but MB Rouissat could not find a way through. A. Abdellaoui came on for MC Alger in the eleventh minute, and M. Midoune was substituted for the opposition shortly after. By then the shape of the match was already clear.
The second half brought another goal when M. Nduwumwe found the net in the fifty-first minute. Yellow cards started to accumulate, with M. Moluh Mounta, Z. Benabda and C. Boukholda all booked before the break. MC Alger brought on M. Halaimia, Z. Ferhat, A. Derder and N. Ben Kheira in the seventy-second minute, while the hosts also replaced M. Moluh Mounta and M. Sy on the hour mark. C. Boukholda was taken off in the eighty-first minute as the game wound down.
MC Alger dominated the numbers with 59 per cent possession and 123 attacks compared to 86 for the visitors. They registered seven shots on target and four off target, while MB Rouissat managed only two shots on target from five attempts off target. Both sides received three yellow cards, and the hosts earned three corners to the visitors' three as well.
The win lifts MC Alger to seventh place with three points from one game. MB Rouissat remain eleventh on three points from three matches, having lost two of their outings so far. And here's the thing — a clean sheet and a comfortable margin makes this a solid start for the home side.