10th meets eighth in the Algerian Ligue 1 this Wednesday as we approach the final few weeks of the campaign as CS Constantine play hosts to ES Setif with the home side aiming to leapfrog the eighth-placed side and move into the top half of the table.
Constantine returned with a point when they hosted Chelghoum Laid in the last game, as they previously went three games without picking up a single point on the Ligue 1 table.
Assad Lakdja, Marcellin Koukpo, and Samir Aiboud all scored a goal each for the club that day, and it was enough to keep a four-point gap on 11th-placed RC Arbaa.
At the same time, however, Kheïreddine Madoui's men have still managed to go five games without a win in the league as they drew with RC Arbaa and Iskra, while also registering defeats to JS Saoura and USM Alger before their recent 3-3 draw with Chelghoum Laid.
Now, with just a few games left on the clock in the Algerian Ligue 1, the club pretty much has to win or at the very least, avoid defeat, if they are to move into the top half of the division in the 2021/22 season.
It has been a campaign of defensive excellence in Ligue 1 too, and despite conceding only 28 goals inside 31 games, Constantine sit with the second-worst defensive record in the top 10.
It's still a very commendable feat, but against a Setif side who have let in only 19, it’s not going to be easy for them here.
As for Setif, they are coming into this one not long after getting back into the win column in Ligue 1 as Riad Benayad's goal was enough to give the club all three points.
Darko Nović's men did, however, return with a draw when they hosted JS Saoura in the league just a few days later, which means the club have won only twice within their past six games.
This run also includes a demolition in the CAF Champions League, as Al Ahly dominated them in a 6-2 aggregate win to knock them out of the semi-finals.
It was a solid run up until that point, however, and they managed to make it to the last four against the odds.
Setif also managed to register a stunning 7-0 win over RC Relizane not too long ago, and with two games in hand on most around them, they’ll fancy themselves to get into the top six.
Forebet predicts a draw here and for the game to see under 2.5 goals.