ALGIERS, Algeria (Interstat) — A dramatic stoppage-time header from substitute Yacine Aliane salvaged a 1-1 draw for USM Alger against visiting MC Oran in an Algerian Ligue 1 match Thursday at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962.

The result, which played out exactly as projected by Interstat’s game simulator, saw the home side snatch a point at the death after trailing for most of the second half. The simulator had also given USM Alger a 73.5% probability to win outright, a prediction the hosts nearly proved wrong until the final moments of regulation.

The match was a tense, physical affair that produced five yellow cards. The first half saw cautions for USM Alger’s Saâdi Radouani in the 23rd minute and MC Oran’s Gape Mohutsiwa in the 36th minute, but no breakthrough in score.

The deadlock was broken six minutes after halftime. MC Oran defender Adem Alilet rose to meet a set piece, powering a header into the net in the 51st minute to stun the home crowd and give the visitors a surprising lead.

The goal seemed to set MC Oran on course for a valuable away victory, especially after USM Alger’s momentum was briefly checked by a yellow card shown to their own substitute, Chakib Aoudjane, just six minutes after the opener.

As the match entered second-half stoppage time, USM Alger mounted a final, desperate assault. In the fourth minute of added time, Aoudjane turned from cautioned villain to provider, delivering the service for fellow substitute Yacine Aliane. Aliane connected with his own header, beating the MC Oran goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations and secure a 1-1 draw in the 94th minute. The frantic finish led to two more yellow cards in the dying moments, shown to USM Alger’s Abderrahim Hamra and MC Oran manager Juan Carlos Garrido.

The draw leaves both teams’ Ligue 1 records tightly packed in the middle of the table. USM Alger now sits at 5 wins, 1 loss and 4 draws in the domestic competition, maintaining a strong, nearly undefeated league campaign. Their overall record across all competitions improves to 8 wins, 2 losses and 4 draws, reflecting their solid form this season.

For MC Oran, the single point brings their Ligue 1 tally to 5 wins, 4 losses and 5 draws, a record that mirrors their overall season mark of 5-4-5. The result continues a recent trend of draws for the visitors, who have now tied three of their last four matches across all competitions, including a 1-1 result with CR Belouizdad in their previous outing.

USM Alger will likely view the result as two points dropped given their late dominance and superior season record, while MC Oran will rue conceding so late after a disciplined defensive performance for much of the contest. The shared points did little to dramatically alter the immediate trajectory of either club’s season, keeping both in contention as the Algerian top-flight campaign continues.