Étoile du Sahel claimed a 3-2 victory over their namesakes in Ligue 1's opening regular season fixture on Saturday evening. M. Belhadj opened the scoring in the fifteenth minute before the visitors levelled through A. Ben Dhiaf's penalty fifty-three minutes in. The hosts then took the lead through O. Abid before M. Haj Ali struck twice in the closing stages to complete the turnaround.
And here's the thing about the penalty situation — Y. Belaili had missed one at the twenty-fifth minute, only for Ben Dhiaf to convert his spot-kick eight minutes later. By then the match had already seen three yellow cards distributed, with M. Bouslama among those booked before half-time.
The hosts were dominant in possession and created far more opportunities, registering 72 attacks compared to the guests' 36. They also registered four shots on target while the visitors managed just three, but the visitors found a way through when it mattered most. To be fair, the away side's efficiency from limited chances kept them in the contest.
Haj Ali became a menace after his seventy-fourth minute introduction, netting in the seventy-fifth and eighty-second minutes to put the result beyond doubt. The hosts had made three changes at the break — Amri, Dagdoug and Diakhate — while the visitors responded with three of their own at sixty-six minutes. The momentum shifted decisively once those replacements took the field.
The result leaves both sides on three points from two games, though the hosts sit tenth while the visitors occupy seventh. Étoile du Sahel had won their previous two fixtures before this contest, extending their unbeaten run, while the guests had also collected three points from their opening two matches. The goal difference remains level at this stage of the season.