Match preview: two struggler sides meet at Stade Zakaria Medjdoub
The mid-January spotlight turns to Stade Zakaria Medjdoub as MC El Bayadh host ES Mostaganem in Round 15 of the 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season on 08/01/2026. This is a collision between two teams trapped in the lower reaches of the table, with MC El Bayadh anchored in 16th and ES Mostaganem hovering just above them in 15th. The numbers tell a bleak story for both camps: El Bayadh have yet to claim a league win, collecting just three points from 14 matches while conceding 24 goals and scoring only seven. Mostaganem have marginally better returns with two wins and nine losses, a slightly healthier defensive record but an offence that hasn’t offered much encouragement with eight goals in 14 fixtures.
Form lines suggest a cagey, low-confidence clash. MC El Bayadh arrive without a victory in their last ten outings and with a single draw amid nine defeats in their most recent ten-game sequence. ES Mostaganem have shown flashes—two wins in recent results—but their last five outings include heavy losses and a narrow reverse to ES Ben Aknoun. The teams’ head-to-head last season ended goalless, a reminder that this fixture can grind to a low-scoring stalemate.
Tactical context and statistical clues
On paper, neither side carries the firepower to open a defiant slugfest. Home data for El Bayadh shows only four goals scored at Stade Zakaria Medjdoub all season, with 11 conceded—indicators of a side that struggles to turn territorial or attacking opportunities into goals. Mostaganem’s away numbers mirror that caution: just two goals scored on the road and eight conceded, albeit with three clean sheets across the season which hint at defensive rigidity on their day. Both teams feature low over/under percentages and modest shot counts; the combined scoring average sits well under the levels that usually herald shootouts. The most recent previous meeting ended 0-0, a statistic that looms large for anyone expecting fireworks.
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Betting suggestion: Under 2.5 goals (goal market)
Given both clubs’ anaemic scoring rates, the recent 0-0 head-to-head and the defensive tendencies reflected in away clean sheets for ES Mostaganem, the clearest value lies in the goal market. Expect a tight, low-scoring game; the best single-market recommendation is Under 2.5 goals. Keep stakes conservative given the unpredictability of low-table fixtures, but this selection aligns with the empirical trend visible in the season data.
