With both sides having lost their opening group games, it was effectively a do-or-die clash in Nashville as LAFC and ES Tunis fought to avoid elimination from the tournament.
With that incentive in mind, the Tunisian champions came close to taking an early lead when Belaïli saw a close-range effort superbly thwarted by veteran keeper Hugo Lloris.
Espérance threatened again shortly after as Rodrigo Rodrigues fired against the post from the edge of the box, while at the other end, David Martínez missed the target when well-placed in the area.
Having conceded first in five successive outings, LAFC looked to stamp their authority on proceedings as HT approached, and Steven Cherundolo’s side thought they’d found the all-important breakthrough, only for Martínez’s strike to be ruled out for a Denis Bouanga offside in the build-up.
It was ES Tunis’ turn to be frustrated by a decision at the start of the second period, as a penalty awarded for an apparent trip on Belaïli was quickly overturned by VAR, with the Algerian forward instead receiving a yellow card for simulation.
After that moment of drama, Maher Kanzari’s men upped the ante in pursuit of an opener, and it duly arrived in the 70th minute when Belaïli latched onto a loose ball in the box and rifled a low finish under the body of Lloris.
The Tunisian side came within inches of doubling their lead late on, as Khalil Guenichi fired against the bar from range.
That provided LAFC with a reprieve heading into stoppage time, and after half-chances for Bouanga and Javairô Dilrosun were wasted, they were awarded a penalty thanks to a late misjudged challenge on Marlon in the area.
Bouanga assumed the responsibility from the spot, but in remarkable scenes, Bechir Ben Said thwarted the effort with his trailing leg as Espérance secured a 10th consecutive win after scoring first.
The result keeps their hopes of progression alive heading into a decisive clash against Chelsea, while LAFC bow out of the competition with a match to spare.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Youcef Belaïli (Espérance Sportive de Tunis)
Click here to see all the match stats.
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