LAFC vs ES Tunis Showdown Tonight — Start Time, Live Stream, Line-Ups & Expert Prediction

The stakes could not be higher when Los Angeles FC face Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis in a must-win FIFA Club World Cup Group D showdown at GEODIS Park in Nashville on Friday evening. Both teams sit on zero points after opening-day defeats and carry identical goal differences (-2). With Flamengo already on six points and Chelsea on three, only a victory keeps either LAFC or ES Tunis in realistic contention for the knockout phase. Kick-off, venue and how to watch • Kick-off: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. Tunis time • Venue: GEODIS Park, Nashville, Tennessee • Live stream: DAZN (global), plus local partners in North America, MENA and Africa Why this clash matters • Elimination threat: A draw helps neither side; defeat means mathematical elimination. • Goal-difference drama: With Chelsea and Flamengo still to play again, a multi-goal win could prove decisive in three-way tie-breakers. • Continental pride: MLS clubs have never lifted the revamped Club World Cup, while the Tunisian giants aim to restore African bragging rights after their opening loss. Team news and projected line-ups LAFC (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Ryan Hollingshead, Eddie Segura, Aaron Long, Sergi Palencia; Mark Delgado, Igor Jesus, Timothy Tillman; Denis Bouanga, Olivier Giroud, David Martínez. ES Tunis (4-2-3-1, expected): Amanallah Memmiche; Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Mohamed Amine Tougaï, Yassine Meriah, Houssem Tka; Raed Bouchniba, Ghaylen Chaalali; Anice Badri, Oussama Bouguerra, Hamdou Elhouni; Rodrigo Rodrigues. Key battles to watch • Olivier Giroud vs Yassine Meriah – the French World Cup winner’s aerial power against the Eagles of Carthage captain. • Denis Bouanga vs Houssem Tka – LAFC’s leading scorer up against an attack-minded full-back who loves to overlap. • Hamdou Elhouni’s counter-punch – the Libyan winger’s pace could punish LAFC’s high line. Form guide LAFC lost 2-0 to Chelsea despite a promising first half, while ES Tunis fell 2-0 to Flamengo. Domestically, LAFC are unbeaten in five MLS matches, and Esperance won the Tunisian Ligue 1 title last month, making Friday’s result a litmus test of each league’s global standing. Tactical snapshot • Steve Cherundolo is expected to press high and funnel possession through Tillman, seeking early width from Bouanga. • Esperance coach Miguel Cardoso prefers patient buildup and diagonal balls to Elhouni; Chaalali will anchor transitions. • Set-pieces loom large: both conceded from corners in their openers. Prediction Intensity should spike as early as the half-hour mark; expect LAFC’s pace in wide areas to stretch an ES Tunis back line that looked vulnerable under overloads against Flamengo. Yet the North Africans’ counterpunch and Rodrigo Rodrigues’ hold-up play can hurt if the finish is clinical. LAFC 2, ES Tunis 1. SEO keywords to remember LAFC vs ES Tunis live stream, Club World Cup Group D, LAFC lineup today, Esperance de Tunis TV channel, LAFC vs Esperance prediction, LAFC vs ES Tunis score, GEODIS Park Nashville soccer. With elimination looming, Friday’s ninety minutes promise knockout-level drama long before the round of 16 even begins.