Tunisian giants Espérance kept their Club World Cup hopes alive with a slender 1-0 win over LAFC, boosting their chances of progression in the competition.
Youcef Belaïli’s second-half strike proved decisive in the Group D clash.
Both teams needed a win after losing their opening fixtures, making the match intense.
Espérance nearly scored early, but Hugo Lloris made a superb save.
LAFC’s Rodrigo Rodrigues hit the post, while David Martínez missed a big chance.
Martínez thought he scored before halftime, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
In the second half, Belaïli was involved in controversy again, with VAR overturning a penalty decision. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Belaïli pounced on a loose ball and scored.
Espérance nearly doubled their lead through Khalil Guenichi, but his shot hit the bar.LAFC had a late penalty chance, but Denis Bouanga’s spot-kick was saved by Bechir Ben Said, securing Espérance’s hard-fought win.
