Matchweek 12 of the Belgian Pro League included three missed penalties in one game, a last minute Club Brugge win over defending champions Royal Antwerp and late drama as RWD Molenbeek travelled to Sint-Truidense VV. However, starting with league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise who were aiming to make it six wins in a row against Westerlo. The team at the top of the league suffered an early set-back as Erdon Daci put Westerlo a goal up after 11 minutes. However, Union were able to turn the game around with goals from Loïc Lapoussin, Dennis Eckert and Mohamed Amoura ensuring that the league leaders maintained their winning form, winning the game 3-1 and remaining at the top of the table.
Second placed RSC Anderlecht played hosts to Oud-Heverlee Leuven on Saturday. The visitors got off to a good start with a goal through Kento Misao after six minutes, however Anderlecht soon showed their strength as after only 12 minutes Anders Dreyer brought the game level. Following the Danes goal Anderlecht were able to play their style of football, with Dreyer scoring another two in the 42nd and 86th minute to complete his hat-trick. Fellow Dane Kasper Dolberg and Mario Stroeykens were also on the scoresheet to seal a comfortable 5-1 victory for Anderlecht, leaving them four points off Union after twelve games played.
The game between third placed Gent and Standard Liege was a game in which three penalties were awarded and none of them were scored. Gent started the calamity of misses as they were awarded a penalty after only six minutes but Hugo Cuypers was unsuccessful from the spot. Fifteen minutes later VAR intervened to review a possible penalty for Standard Liege, the penalty was given but Wilfried Kanga was also unable to convert. Gent finished the half strong with three goals in seven minutes, first from midfielder Tarik Tissoudali, which was followed up three minutes later with the games second goal from Cuypers before Tissoudali scored his second and saw Gent go into the break three goals ahead. Standard tried to get back into the game in the second half. Striker Wilfried Kanga got one back for the visitors with 25 minutes to go, however the Ivorian would go on to miss his second and the games third penalty with five minutes remaining. The game ended 3-1 to Gent, leaving them in third position while Standard Liege finish this round of games in eighth place of the Belgian Pro League.
Going into the weekend Club Brugge were in 7th position and came up against the team one place above them in the table in Royal Antwerp. Ferran Jutglà put the hosts ahead just before the break after an assist from Canadian Tajon Buchanan, however the reigning champions were able to level the scores through striker George Ilenikhena in the 72nd minute. It was looking as though the points would be shared at the Jan Breydel Stadium but Hans Vanaken had something to say about that, a 90th minute goal saw the hosts win 2-1 and leapfrog their opposition into 6th place in the league.
Circus trickery from Ferrán Jutglà as the former Barcelona forward gets his second of the season 🇪🇸pic.twitter.com/Th4VpeSCbe
— Get Belgian & Dutch Football News (@GBeNeFN) October 30, 2023
Sint-Truidense VV played hosts to RWD Molenbeek on Friday evening, the game was fairly uneventful for the first 80 minutes, however this soon changed after Sint-Truidense were awarded a penalty after a VAR review, Aboubakary Koita converted the penalty and put the hosts one goal ahead. RWDM thought they had salvaged a point as Makhtar Gueye scored late into injury time to level the game, but it was not to be as Daiki Hashioka scored even deeper into injury time to put the hosts back ahead. The game ended five minutes later after 10 minutes of injury time with Sint-Truidense keeping all three points after winning 2-1. Molenbeek will be disappointed to come away with nothing after clawing their way back into the game so late on.
Elsewhere in the Belgium Pro League KRC Genk comfortably beat KV Kortrijk 3-0 after second half goals from Tolu Arokodare, Joseph Paintsil and Daniel Muńoz. There were no draws in the Pro League this weekend as Eupen were 2-0 winners over Sporting de Charleroi after goals from Jan Král and Kevin Möhwald, while Cercle Brugge also won 2-0 against Mechelen with Kévin Denkey and Kazeem Olaigbe getting on the scoresheet.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Max Mumford
