TUNIS, Tunisia (Interstat) — ES Tunis opened its domestic league campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over rival Bizertin on Thursday at Stade Hammadi Agrebi, a result that underscored the starkly divergent trajectories of the two Tunisian clubs.

The match, organized by Tunisia’s Ligue 1, was settled by a goal in each half, though the final scoreline included an own goal that flattered the dominant hosts.

Kouceila Boualia broke the deadlock for the home side just before halftime, finishing a well-worked play in the 41st minute. The forward’s celebration was tempered almost immediately, however, as he received a yellow card in the 40th minute for his actions following the goal.

The victory pushes ES Tunis to a perfect start in the league, now with one win and no losses. In contrast, Bizertin’s struggles deepened, falling to zero wins and one loss in Ligue 1 play. The broader context of the season reveals an even more dramatic gap. ES Tunis has compiled a formidable record of seven wins, two losses and three draws across all competitions. Bizertin remains winless overall, with a dismal record of zero wins, six losses and three draws.

The second half saw little change in momentum. Bizertin’s frustrations were compounded in the 60th minute when forward Achref Jebri was shown a yellow card. The visitors’ difficult night was capped by a cruel twist in the 90th minute, as Jebri, in a moment of misfortune, deflected the ball into his own net to seal the 2-0 result for ES Tunis. The own goal was credited as an assist to ES Tunis substitute Amine Ben Jaballah, who was instrumental in creating the decisive late play.

The match served as a microcosm of the two teams’ seasons to date. ES Tunis entered the fixture in strong form, with recent results including a scoreless draw at Zarzis on Oct. 22 and a 1-0 victory over Eto du Sahel on Oct. 5. Their campaign has been marked by several convincing victories, such as a 3-0 win over Association Sportive des Forces Armées Royales and multiple 2-0 triumphs.

Bizertin, meanwhile, arrived at the stadium mired in a profound scoring drought. Their recent history is a catalog of setbacks, including a 2-0 home loss to Stade Tunisien on Oct. 22 and a series of scoreless draws and narrow defeats. The team has managed just two goals in its last eight matches across all competitions, a statistic that highlights the offensive challenges facing the squad.

The schedule offers little respite for the struggling side. Bizertin faces a quick turnaround, hosting Olympique Beja on Sunday. They then travel to face Marsa on Nov. 5 before another home fixture against Eto du Sahel on Nov. 8.

ES Tunis will look to maintain its momentum in a high-profile clash, traveling to face CS Sfaxien on Sunday. Their upcoming slate also includes a home match against JS Omranienne on Nov. 6 and a tough away fixture at rival Club Africain on Nov. 9.

The comprehensive nature of the victory, built on defensive solidity and capitalized on by an opponent’s error, positions ES Tunis as a clear early force in the Tunisian Ligue 1 title race, while Bizertin is left to search for answers to reverse a deeply concerning trend of negative results.