Mamelodi Sundowns will host Esperance Tunis at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium for the crucial second leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League semi-final clash.
With Esperance Tunis holding a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg in Rades, all eyes will be on Mamelodi Sundowns as they aim to overturn the deficit and secure their spot in the final.
Yan Sasse’s decisive 41st-minute goal in the previous encounter has set the stage for an intense battle as both teams vie for supremacy on Friday.
Below are the facts and figures about the match:
Mamelodi Sundowns lost the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League semi-final against ES Tunis (0-1), but they have never lost both games against a single opponent in the knockout phase of the competition.
ES Tunis could reach their eighth final in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, their first since 2018-19, while Mamelodi Sundowns would become the first South African side to reach the final three times (after 2001 & 2016).
Mamelodi Sundowns have lost just one of their last 31 home games in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League (W20 D10), it was against CR Belouizdad in April 2021 (0-2). They are unbeaten at home in the knockout phase of the competition (W6 D7).
ES Tunis have hit the woodwork four times in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season, more than any other side.
ES Tunis have not conceded a goal in each of their last seven games in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, their best such run in the competition. They have faced 51 consecutive shots without conceding (11 on target).
Pass masters
Mamelodi Sundowns (126) and ES Tunis (102) are the two sides with the most 10+ passes sequences in open play in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season. The South African side have had the most shots and/or touches in the opposite box following those sequences in this campaign (22).
Dribblers
Lucas Riberio Costa (Mamelodi Sundowns, 21) and Houssam Ghacha (ES Tunis, 19) are the players with the most dribbles completed in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season.
Hotshot
Yan Sasse has been directly involved in four of the seven goals scored by ES Tunis in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season (3 goals including one in the first leg, 1 assist).