كتب : Amro Hassan
Mickael Eneramo broke the deadlock on 27 minutes before Oussama Darragi doubled Esperance's lead in the second-half.
Mohab Saied scored the away goal for Ismaili twelve minutes from time.
Ismaili were unlucky not to take an early lead when a wonderful free-kick by Abdullah Saied clipped the post and went wide.
The Dervishes wasted another golden opportunity when Mohamed Mohsen's header whistled past the Esperance post.
The home side opened the score line when Abdul-Hamid Sami brought down Michael Eneramo in the box. The Nigerian successfully sent Mohamed Sobhi the wrong side.
As the Egyptian club tried to push for an equalizer, they were exposed at the back and Esperance looked closer to adding a second.
Early in the second half, Eneramo was once again allowed to go one on one with Sobhi, and the 28-year-old did well to keep the former's shot out.
Mohab Saied tried to cleverly chip a 25-yard shot past Hamdi Kasraoui but Saied's shot was inches high off the post.
In the 73rd minute, Darragi added his team's second by capitalizing on some poor defending from Ismaili to slot home past the helpless Sobhi.
Ismaili were brought back to life when Abdullah Saied's cross found Mohab Saied unguarded on the far post, the midfielder easily headed past Kasraoui.
Mohamed Fadl should have levelled the score, but the former Ahli striker blazed his ball wide from Abdullah Saied's pinpoint cross.
The two teams will clash again for the tie's second leg in two weeks time in Ismailia.