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Esperance Tunis welcome Mamelodi Sundowns to Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi for the first leg of their CAF Champions League semifinal tie on Saturday.
The hosts are coming off a 1-1 draw away to Monastir in the Tunisian Ligue Professionelle 1 over the weekend. They took the lead through Rodrigo Rodrigues' 37th-minute strike while Adnene Yaakoubi drew the game level in second-half injury time.
Mamelodi Sundowns, meanwhile, also shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw away to Swallows in the South African Premier Soccer League. They surrendered a two-goal lead, having led by the 51st minute courtesy of goals from Teboho Mokoena and Marcelo Allende. However, Augustine Mahlonoko and Gabadinho Mhango scored to ensure the sides canceled each other out.
'The Brazilians' will turn their focus to the continent and qualified for this round with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory over Young Africans following a goalless aggregate stalemate. Esperance also qualified in similar circumstances against ASEC Mimosas in the quarterfinal.
Al Ahly or TP Mazembe await the winner of this tie in the final.
Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the seventh meeting between the two sides. Esperance lead 2-1 while three games have ended in draws.
- The two sides were drawn in group C of the 2017 CAF Champions League. Esperance claimed a 2-1 away win and played a goalless draw at home.
- Four of the last six head-to-head games have produced less than three goals and saw one side keep a clean sheet.
- Eleven of Esperance's last 12 competitive games, including each of the last nine, have produced less than three goals.
- Mamelodi are unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions, winning 12.
Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns Prediction
Esperance are currently on a 15-game unbeaten run across competitions (nine wins). This will give them confidence as they seek a fifth CAF Champions League title.
Mamelodi Sundowns are on an even longer unbeaten run and are the runaway leaders in the South African league. They are also still in the running for glory in the Nedbank Cup to go with their MTN 8 and AFL trophies earlier in the season.
We are backing the two sides to cancel each other out in a low-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Esperance 1-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Esperance Tunis vs Mamelodi Sundowns Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals
