USM Alger edge JS Kabylie away in heated Ligue 1 clash

JS Kabylie followed up their big cup win over Hassi Messaoud with another painful league defeat at home, this time losing 2-1 to an in-form USM Alger side.

Stand-in goalkeeper Gaya Merbah, starting in place of the international-duty Idir Hadid, produced an excellent save in the first half but then saw his evening turn complicated.​

Just before the break, Merbah parried a powerful shot from Khaldi straight back into danger and the USMA forward reacted quickest, lifting the ball over him and finishing from a very tight angle in the 43rd minute. JSK responded well after half-time and drew level with a superb team move on the hour: Boudebouz picked out Merghem, who fed Bada, the Ivorian slid a through ball to Hamidi, and his pass across goal was tucked in by Mahious on 61 minutes.​

The Canaries almost went ahead when Akhrib ghosted in behind USMA’s defence, but Lahemri could not quite reach his cross. In the same passage of play, USMA hit back from a corner delivered by Ghacha, with Khaldi’s fine glancing header forcing another uncertain intervention from Merbah, whose weak touch dropped kindly for Likonza to stab home in the 79th minute for 2-1.​

JSK pushed hard late on, yet Alilet and goalkeeper Benbot held firm to secure USMA’s fourth straight victory, extending a league unbeaten run that now stretches to nearly two months.