CR Belouizdad vs Esperance ST Prediction: The home side won’t lose here

CR Belouizdad will lock horns with Esperance ST at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 Stadium on Saturday. North African teams have been dominating this tournament since 2017 and are the favourite to win this year's edition.

CR Belouizdad (Algeria)

Marcus Paqueta's men secured a slim (1-0) victory over Zamalek last week after Cameroonian striker Leonel Wamba converted from the penalty spot to give CRB three crucial points on the road.

The three-time quarter-finalists in the competition are yet to win the title. They were eliminated by the champions in the quarter-finals last season.

CR Belouizdad were Algerian champions last season with seventy points in thirty-four games. They did fail to impress in the CAF tournament last season, but hopefully, they will go far this season.

They have strengthened their squad aggressively this season and hope to secure both the domestic league and the CAF championship.

CR Belouizdad have had a great start in the Algerian Ligue One this season, winning eleven while sharing the spoils four times. They remain unbeaten with eight points ahead of second-placed CS Constantine.

Esperance ST (Tunisia)

Nabil Maaloul's team ensured a late win against stubborn Al Merreikh at home to assume the second spot on the log. Esperance ST was the better side but were unable to penetrate the opponent's defence. They surged forward in the second half and were rewarded with a goal in the remaining seconds of the game.

The Blood and Gold side are the most successful team in the Tunisia Professional League, with thirty-one (31) league titles. They have won the Tunisia Cup fifteen times while securing the Tunisia Super Cup six times. They have triumphed in the CAF Champions League four times and are the second most successful side in the competition's history.

Esperance ST had a rough start to the season but have bounced back just in time for their CAF campaign. They sit at the top of the Tunisian Group A league with thirty-one points from a possible forty-five.

Nabil Maaloul's men almost lost their champions league group spot to Plateau United; however, a dodgy penalty awarded them helped secure a ticket to this round. Since that terrible performance, Esperance ST have improved massively, and we can see them finishing in the top four this season.

Expert Betting Tips

Both sides have found themselves in the same group over the two seasons. CR Belouizdad have recorded a win while Esperance ST have managed two victories with a game ending in a share of the spoils. CR Belouizdad didn’t do much up front against struggling Zamalek a few days ago on the road, while Esperance ST played more of an attacking game at home against their opponent. We expect CR Belouizdad to win here for 1.96.

We expect the home side to strike first here for 1.66.

We expect a cagey game here; bet on a total under 2.5 goals for 1.51.

Good luck!