Pre-Match Facts: USM Alger’s defensive strength meets Safi’s resilience in return leg
Olympic Safi and USM Alger head into their decisive second-leg clash with everything to play for, as pre-match facts underline the fine margins separating the two sides in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup semi-final.
The tie remains delicately poised after a goalless first leg, with USM Alger’s defensive solidity standing out, having kept six clean sheets in nine matches—the best record in the competition this season.
However, Olympic Safi will take confidence from their consistency, losing just once in nine games and proving difficult to beat, particularly on home soil.
The Moroccan side will also be aiming to finally break their scoring drought against USM Alger, having failed to find the net in their previous three meetings this campaign.
USM Alger, meanwhile, bring pedigree and ambition, targeting a second Confederation Cup final appearance, backed by strong ball retention metrics and creative output in the competition.
With both teams evenly matched in contrasting ways—defensive discipline against resilience—the data points to another tight encounter where a single moment could decide who advances to the final.
Below are the pre-match facts of the second-leg match between Olympic Safi and USM Alger :
● This will be the fourth meeting against USM Alger for Olympic Safi in the CAF Confederation Cup this season, with the Moroccan side failing to win (D2 L1) or score in each of the previous three.
● USM Alger have lost both of their previous two away knockout stage CAF Confederation Cup games Moroccan opposition: 2-3 at FAR Rabat in the 2022-23 quarter-finals and 0-3 at RS Berkane in the 2023-24 semi-finals.
● Olympic Safi have lost just one of their nine games in the CAF Confederation Cup this season (W4 D4), though that lone defeat did come against USM Alger at home in November (0-1).
● Olympic Safi drew their last four games in the CAF Confederation Cup and could become just the second side to finish five in a row in stalemate after Zanaco between 2010 and 2019.
● USM Alger are looking to reach their second CAF Confederation Cup final, after the 2022-23 edition when they won the tournament.
● USM Alger have kept a clean sheet in six of their nine games in the CAF Confederation Cup this season, the most of any side this season and the most ever by any Algerian side in a single season in the competition.
● USM Alger have lost five of their seven away knockout stage games in the CAF Confederation Cup (W1 D1), including a 1-2 defeat at Maniema Union in this season’s quarter-finals last month.
● USM Alger have recorded 92 sequences consisting of 10+ passes in the CAF Confederation Cup this season, the most of any side. They average 3.4 passes per sequence in the competition this term – also the most of any side.
● Olympic Safi’s Faraji Karmoune has blocked nine shots in the CAF Confederation Cup this season, the most of any player and three more than USM Alger’s best player in this category (Hocine Dehiri – 6).
● No player has created more chances than USM Alger’s Houssam Ghacha in the CAF Confederation Cup this season (17; including 2 vs Olympic Safi in the first leg).