Out-of-sorts USM Alger have a mountain to climb when high-flying arch rivals MC Alger make the short trip to face them in Friday night’s heavyweight Algerian Ligue 1 derby.
On paper, the 115th clash between the bitter foes is a total mismatch with MC Alger in rampant form and USMA struggling badly domestically so far this term.
League leaders MCA have won nine of their 10 games to open up a five-point gap over second-placed CR Belouizdad heading into the latest installment of the hotly-contested Algiers derby.
Mauritanian magician Youcef Belaili has rediscovered his best form under manager Abdelkader Amrani, providing creativity and guile in a fearsome MCA attack also featuring Islam Bakir and Walid Allati.
In stark contrast, 13th-placed USMA have managed a solitary league win all season amid their African commitments.
Hamza Koudri’s side did taste derby glory as recently as June, scoring twice to win the corresponding fixture 2-0 last term.
But a repeat result would constitute a monumental shock against opponents who look bang in contention to end a seven-year wait to regain the Algerian championship.
USMA will need to summon the morale-sapping effects of Friday night’s fervent derby atmosphere to stand any chance against seemingly unstoppable MCA.
