Zamalek Face 1-0 Deficit Against USM Alger On May 16
Zamalek enter the second leg against USM Alger needing to erase a 1-0 deficit after the first meeting in Algiers on May 9. The return match is set for May 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM, and the home side must turn that one-goal gap around on its own pitch.
That makes the fixture a straight test of recovery for Zamalek, who reached this stage as leaders of their group and now face a result they cannot leave untouched. The margin is small, but the pressure is immediate: one goal is the difference between control and elimination in a continental knockout tie.
Zamalek At Home
Zamalek beat Smouha SC 1-0 in the Egyptian Premier League on May 5, which followed a 3-0 defeat to Al Ahly on May 1. Across their last five matches, they have won two, drawn two and lost one, scoring two goals and conceding three.
Those numbers point to a side that has kept games tight rather than run away from them. Zamalek also recorded back-to-back clean sheets in draws against ENPPI and Pyramids FC, and they beat Pyramids FC 1-0 in late April before the loss in Algiers.
USM Alger Away Form
USM Alger also arrived at this stage as leaders of their group, and they took the first leg with a 1-0 win on May 9. Since then, they drew 1-1 with ES Mostaganem in the Algerian 1. Division on May 12.
Their last five results include two draws against Olympic Club de Safi in this competition and a league loss to ASO Chlef. That run gives Zamalek a narrow opening: the visitors have enough recent results to protect the lead, but not enough to remove the pressure of playing away in Egypt.
U.S. Viewing Options
Fans in the United States can watch the match through beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS Connect, with Fubo and Fanatiz also carrying the fixture. For Zamalek, that means the task is simple to read even before kickoff: score first, force the tie back toward level, and make USM Alger defend a lead that has already survived one leg.
The second leg is the only piece that matters now. Zamalek have the home field and a one-goal deficit to erase, while USM Alger arrive with the advantage earned in Algiers and a route to protect it for another 90 minutes.
