Constantine vs El Bayadh Prediction: A challenging competition more difficult than it appears on paper.

In Algeria Ligue 1 action, Constantine will face El Bayadh at Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui. The hosts are considered favorites, while El Bayadh are perceived as underdogs on the road.

In their recent league outing, Constantine secured a notable victory against USM Alger with a 1-2 scoreline on the road. Abdennour Belhocini's 60th-minute goal and Brahim Dib's 80th-minute penalty were decisive for Constantine, despite Akram Djahnit pulling one back for USM Alger in the 87th minute. Leading up to this match, Constantine has faced challenges in keeping clean sheets, but they have consistently found the back of the net. In their last 6 matches, Constantine has conceded goals in all 6 while also scoring in each of those games. In the league standings, Constantine currently holds the 6th position with 24 points.

El Bayadh enters this matchup on the back of a 2-1 victory against Belouizdad in their recent Ligue Professionnelle 1 fixture. Two first-half goals, courtesy of Mohamed Messadi and Kamel Belmiloud, secured the three points for El Bayadh despite a response from CR Belouizdad's Oussama Darfalou in the 70th minute. However, El Bayadh's attacking players have struggled to find the net in their last six games, managing only 4 goals. During this period, El Bayadh has also conceded a total of 4 goals. As they approach this encounter, El Bayadh occupies the 10th position in the league standings, accumulating 21 points from 15 matches.

The head-to-head record between Constantine and El Bayadh shows that the teams have met only three times in their history. Constantine won the initial encounter with a 3-1 scoreline. However, El Bayadh emerged victorious in each of the subsequent meetings, securing wins in those matches. Throughout these encounters, Constantine managed to score only two goals, while El Bayadh netted five.

I expect the visitors to put up a strong defensive performance, as they don't appear to be a weak side, having lost just one of their last five matches in all competitions. Despite Constantine being heavily favored, the historical challenge of winning in this encounter may present a hurdle for them. Therefore, in a match anticipated to be closer than it appears on paper, both teams are likely to score, with Constantine narrowly securing the victory at full time.