Tunisian Ligue 1: Espérance de Tunis lead standings ahead of Sunday’s matches

Espérance de Tunis remain top of the Tunisian Ligue 1 standings with 12 points after five matches, with PS Sakiet Eddaier and US Ben Guerdane close behind as the league prepares for Sunday’s fixtures.

PS Sakiet Eddaier occupy second place with 11 points, level with third-placed US Ben Guerdane, while Club Africain sit fourth with nine points despite having played one fewer match than several of their rivals.

The standings heading into Sunday’s games show a competitive start to the campaign, with several clubs separated by only a few points and the positions still subject to change as postponed or outstanding fixtures are played.

Espérance lead as challengers close in

Espérance de Tunis have collected 12 points from their opening five matches to establish a one-point advantage at the top of the table.

PS Sakiet Eddaier and US Ben Guerdane are both on 11 points after five games, leaving the pair within touching distance of the leaders.

Club Africain are fourth with nine points from four matches.

Their game in hand gives them an opportunity to move closer to the leading positions, depending on the outcome of their next fixture.

US Monastirienne also have nine points, but have played five matches and currently sit fifth.

Club Sportif Sfaxien and CA Bizertin follow in sixth and seventh place respectively, with both sides collecting eight points from five games.

The narrow margins between the teams near the top mean Sunday’s results could bring changes to the standings, particularly among the clubs competing for the leading positions.

Mid-table battle remains closely contested

JS Omrane occupy eighth place with seven points from four matches, keeping them within reach of the teams above them.

Stade Tunisien and Etoile du Sahel are ninth and 10th respectively, with each club collecting four points from three matches.

Both sides have played fewer games than several of their competitors, meaning their positions could change as they complete their outstanding fixtures.

Espérance de Zarzis sit 11th with three points from four matches, while ES Métlaoui are 12th on the same number of points and with the same number of games played.

Olympique de Béja are 13th after taking two points from five matches.

The middle and lower sections of the table remain tightly packed, although the number of matches played varies between clubs. Sunday’s fixtures could therefore have an impact on the overall order as the season progresses.

Pressure builds near the bottom

AS Marsa are 14th with one point from three matches, while ES Hammam Sousse have also collected one point but have played four games.

CS Hammam-Lif occupy the bottom position after failing to register a point from their opening four matches.

The early standings leave the bottom three clubs with work to do as they look to improve their positions in the coming rounds.

However, the difference in matches played means the table does not yet provide a complete comparison of every team’s progress.

AS Marsa, for example, have played fewer games than several of the teams immediately above them.

With Sunday’s fixtures approaching, attention will be on whether the leading clubs can maintain their positions and whether the teams lower down the standings can begin to close the gap.

Tunisian Ligue 1 standings before Sunday’s matches

The table below reflects the points and number of matches played in the supplied standings.

Position	Club	Points	Matches
1	Espérance de Tunis	12	5
2	PS Sakiet Eddaier	11	5
3	US Ben Guerdane	11	5
4	Club Africain	9	4
5	US Monastirienne	9	5
6	Club Sportif Sfaxien	8	5
7	CA Bizertin	8	5
8	JS Omrane	7	4
9	Stade Tunisien	4	3
10	Etoile du Sahel	4	3
11	Espérance de Zarzis	3	4
12	ES Métlaoui	3	4
13	Olympique de Béja	2	5
14	AS Marsa	1	3
15	ES Hammam Sousse	1	4
16	CS Hammam-Lif	0	4

Espérance de Tunis enter Sunday’s round at the top of the standings, but the teams immediately behind them remain within reach.

With several clubs having played fewer matches, the coming fixtures could prove important in shaping the early Ligue 1 table.