DÉLY IBRAHIM, Algeria (Interstat) — MC Alger scored three unanswered second-half goals and defeated visiting Rangers Int’l 3-0 on Friday at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962. The hosts pressed for an opener before the break but had to wait until after halftime. MC Alger turned a scoreless match into a decisive result with goals in the 58th minute, the 85th minute and the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Rangers Int’l could not find a response and finished with no goals. The win moved MC Alger to one win and one loss in the competition, and Rangers Int’l fell to the same competition record.

Chahreddine Boukholda gave MC Alger the lead in the 58th minute and finished with one goal while playing 90 minutes. Mohamed Bangoura added the second in the 85th minute, also recording one goal over 90 minutes. MC Alger then capped the scoring in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, completing a three-goal haul. Boukholda and Bangoura were the game’s top performers, in that order, with each player’s goal helping the home side pull away after the break.

The first half produced no goals as Rangers Int’l held its shape and limited MC Alger’s clearest chances. Rangers Int’l’s best spells came before the interval, but the visitors could not turn them into a goal. After halftime, MC Alger increased the tempo and found a breakthrough when Boukholda scored. Bangoura’s goal gave the home side more room, and the stoppage-time goal completed the scoring. Rangers Int’l, the visiting team, was unable to convert its opportunities and was shut out. MC Alger’s defense protected the lead over the final minutes.

MC Alger’s competition record now stands at one win and one loss, while Rangers Int’l also sits at one win and one loss in the competition. Both teams have now split their first two competition matches. Across all competitions, MC Alger is 3 wins, 1 loss and 4 draws. Rangers Int’l is 2 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws. The result reversed the outcome of the teams’ most recent head-to-head meeting, which Rangers Int’l had won 2-0. MC Alger’s previous competition result was also a 2-0 loss at Rangers Int’l.

MC Alger’s win came at its home ground, Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 in Dély Ibrahim, after a tight opening period. The home side’s three-goal second half proved decisive. Rangers Int’l remained organized defensively for much of the first half but could not keep MC Alger off the scoreboard after the interval. The visiting side finished the match without a goal and dropped to 1-1 in the competition. MC Alger improved to 1-1 in the competition with the victory.

Boukholda’s 58th-minute goal opened the scoring and set the home side on course. Bangoura doubled the advantage in the 85th minute, and MC Alger added another goal in second-half stoppage time to seal the result. The scoring sequence matched the game’s key performances, with Boukholda and Bangoura leading the way for MC Alger. Rangers Int’l was unable to answer at any stage, and MC Alger saw out the clean sheet.

Rangers Int’l had entered the match after a scoreless draw with Bendel and a 2-0 win over MC Alger in the competition. MC Alger had drawn with Khenchela and ES Setif before facing Rangers Int’l. Rangers Int’l is scheduled to visit Sporting Lagos next, while MC Alger’s upcoming schedule includes a home match against O Akbou and a road match at USM Alger.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score. Interstat’s ELO system had projected MC Alger with a 95.3 percent probability to win. MC Alger was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -2.25. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.75.