NC Magra secured a 2-1 victory over USM Alger in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals at the Stade Municipal de Magra, a result that defied the pre-match expectations of the Lemeister model. The model had installed USM Alger as narrow favourites with a 36 per cent win probability, against NC Magra’s 30 per cent, and projected a 1-0 away win. Instead, two second-half goals from the home side, including an extra-time winner, decided the contest after a tightly contested opening period.
The match remained goalless for the first 39 minutes before A. Ziouache put NC Magra ahead in the 40th minute with a normal goal. That strike gave the home side a slender lead to protect going into the interval, but the statistics for the first half, while not detailed in the available data, suggest a relatively even contest given the overall numbers from the match. Neither side registered any cards, indicating a disciplined encounter, and both made a combined seven substitutions across the 120 minutes, with NC Magra using three and USM Alger four.
USM Alger responded early in extra time, equalising through M. Beneddine from the penalty spot in the 100th minute. That penalty, the only set-piece goal of the match, shifted the momentum briefly towards the visitors, who had been the model’s slight favourites before kick-off. However, NC Magra showed resilience and reclaimed the lead just ten minutes later, when M. Bourahla scored a normal goal in the 110th minute. That proved to be the decisive moment, as neither side could add to the scoreline in the remaining time.
Without granular statistics such as possession, shots, or expected goals in the available data, the narrative rests heavily on the timing of the goals and the absence of cards. The lack of yellow or red cards points to a match that was competitive but not fractious, with both teams focusing on football rather than fouls. The three home substitutions and four away substitutions suggest USM Alger may have sought to change the game from the bench, but the data does not reveal whether those changes were forced or tactical.
The match ratings and detailed player statistics are not available in the provided data, so no individual performance analysis can be made for the named players, A. Ziouache, M. Beneddine, and M. Bourahla, beyond the fact that each contributed a goal. Ziouache opened the scoring, Beneddine levelled from the spot, and Bourahla struck the winner. Their contributions were clearly decisive, but without further numbers, their overall influence on the match remains unquantified.
The result sends NC Magra into the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, a significant achievement given their status as the underdog according to the Lemeister model. USM Alger, who were favoured to progress, will be left to reflect on what might have been, having seen a penalty goal cancelled out by a late extra-time strike. The final will offer NC Magra the opportunity to claim silverware in a competition that has already produced a memorable semi-final for the home supporters.
