Ahli manager Hossam Al-Badri surprisingly left out midfield talisman Mohamed Abou-Treika on the bench as Al-Sayed Hamdi starts upfront alongside Geddo.

On the other hand, Esperance were boosted by the return of star man Youssef Msakni, who seemed to have recovered after an appendicitis operation.

ESPERANCE: Ben Cherifia – Chemmam, Ben Mansour, Hichri, Zouaghi – Ragued, Mouelhi, Aouadhi, Bouazzi, Y. Msakni – N’Djeng

AHLI: Ekrami – Fathi, Gomaa, Naguib, Shedid – Ashour, Ghaly, Al-Saied, Soliman – Geddo, Hamdi

First half

1' The first half kicks off..let's hope for an enthralling game between the two African heavyweights

1' Foul for the hosts in midfield

2' Throw in for Ahli

3' Cagey start for both teams as the ball is restricted mainly to midfield

4' Shedid and Soliman combine down the left but lose the ball

4' We must remember a clean sheet would send Esperance through..the Cairo giants must score tonight

6' Geddo pleads for a foul inside the box as he struggles for the ball with a defender..the referee says no

8' Foul for Ahli..the visitors now seem determined to pose threat from early on

9' Ben Cherifia does great to deny a dangerous Ahmed Shedid cross before thwarting a long range strike

10' Soliman makes a darting run before sending a through ball to Hamdi who is ruled to be in offside position

11' Let's remember that Ben Cherifia put in a superb display in the away game to keep his side's advantage intact

12' A fine team move ends up with an offiside against the hosts

13' Ahli pounce on a mis-pass by Esperance in midfield but eventually give away the ball

14' Foul for Soliman in his own half

15' Another foul but this time for Ghaly in the opponents' half

16' Al-Saied takes the free kick..blocked by the keeper

17' A fine team move sees Fathi square to a team mate who dithers on the ball inside the area..it could have been much better than that!

18' Ekrami punches a free kick from way out..he could have easily handled it instead

19' Ahli capitalise on another error by Esperance in midfield but Ghaly opts for a long range low shot..misses the target

20' A fine spell by Ahli ends up with a miscued strike from Al-Saied ..Ahli is the better side inside the opening 20 minutes

22' Foul for Soliman as Ahli attack..good game for the Reds away from home

23' Msakni finds space and fires from way out..no threat though

24' Foul for striker Hamdi after bursting down the right..let's see how they are going to deal with it

25' The free kick deflects off Hamdi inside the area directly into the keeper's hands..the referee says Hamdi was offside

26' Another shot from way out from Ahli..now they need to find another way

27' Esperance are forced to play the ball back, thanks to the visitors sustained pressing

29' Hamdi in offside position after some promising play by his team mates

30' Ahli are now laying siege on their opponents' box..will they be able to take the lead?

31' A dangerous challenge by Fathi..foul for the Tunisians

32' Ekrami blocks N’Djeng shot who strikes from tight angle, the first test for the Egyptian guardian after 32 minutes

34' Fathi's cross too high for Geddo but the latter displays a fighting spirit to claim the ball

35' A long through ball by Esperance but the three men upfront are apparently offside

37' Laser beams are directed towards Ekrami as the Tunisians play a free kick

38' The home side started to pose threat now..

40' Geddo superbly latches on a high through ball but his volley is blocked by Ben Cherifia..the referee says he was in an offside position

41' Foul for Ahli following a shove by an opponent..free kick from the right

42' Soliman takes the ball but awfully played..out for goal kick

43' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!! GEDDO opens the scoring

44' Geddo hits home following some superb work by Hamdi who squares for the former to earn his side a deserved lead

45' Hamdi excels down the left as the Reds get a corner kick

45' The referee blows the whistle..it's the end of the first half, will Ahli be able to preserve their lead, that's what we will see in the second period

Second half

46' Esperance push forward early in the second half...

48' Hossam Ashour superbly controls the ball but ends up with a foul for the Tunisians

49' N’Djeng launches an incursion on the right flank, tries to avoid a goal kick but fails..The hosts seem to have redeemed themselves after falling to a goal down

50' WHAT A CHANCE!!!!!!!!! Al-Saied misses with the goal at his mercy as Ben Cherifia blocks his short range effort..Ahli could have comfortably been two nil now!

51' Soliman controls the ball badly in front of the box to end a promising attack

52' Esperance could have restored parity now!!!! N’Djeng breaks through only to see his shot go inches off the post

53' Bouazzi is substituted for Esperance

56' N'Djeng is the hosts' dangerous man with another low shot narrowly missing the target

58' Foul for Ahli at the back

60' Hamdi heads wide following some superb combination between Shedid and Soliman down the left..Ahli is dangerous on the attack

62' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!! AHLI TWO!!!

62' Soliman pounces on a miscued play by the opponents to juggle the ball over a defender before going clear and slotting home past the helpless Ben Cherifia

63' A player from Esperance is on the ground as he is treated by the medical staff

65' The post denies another N'Djeng effort..their most menacing man

66' Abou-Treika is now introduced instead of Hamdi for their first substitution

67' Fathi commits a foul upfront..free kick played by the keeper

70' Soliman fails to control the ball on the left..throw in

70' Esperance now need to score three goals, they seem to have thrown in the towel

71' Esperance fans look totally dismayed with both their team's result and performance

72' Dominique comes on instead of Soliman as Esperance take a free kick from a good position on the left hand side of the area

72' Dominique brilliantly dribbles past a defender but the finish is way awful..slicing his shot

73' An Esperance man dispatches near the edge of the box but flows wide

75' Ghaly does great to maintain his side's possession

78' Ghaly booked even though TV replays show he did no contact with Msakni

79' Geddo wastes a good chance to make it three!! his venomless shot from close range reaches the keeper's hand so easily!

80' Hichri denies Dominique a goal with Ben Cherifia out of goal following a fine through from Ghaly to Geddo

82' Esperance desperately moving the ball..Ahli produced a big game tonight

83' N'Djeng tries his luck from distance..blasted high

85' GOAALLLLLLL!!! ESPERANCE PULL ONE BACK!!

85' N'Djeng deservedly finds the net when he notched home a low cross from the right after Ahli defenders were caught napping

87' Offside against Ahli

88' Dominique attempts to waltz around a defender, he should have kept the ball to burn some time

89' A PENALTY!!!!! FOR AHLI after the keeper tripped clear-on-goal Dominique

90' Treika on to take it but the keeper blocks it!!! to deny the Reds their third of the night

90+2' Dominique close range effort blocked..he could have passed to his team mate on the right of him instead

90+3' Treika sees his shot at the near post thwarted by the keeper..not lucky today

90+4' The referee blows the final whistle!!!! Ahli makes it seven Champions League titles in their history with a 3-2 aggregate win..The Reds will now make an apperance in the Club World Cup in Japan in December.