This weeks Belgian Pro League Team of the Week is using the old fashioned 4-4-2 formation, with plenty of high quality individual performances to choose from.
Goalkeeper
Dillon Phillips (KV Oostende)
On loan Cardiff goalkeeper Dillon Phillips has only recently usurped Guillaume Hubert to take the starting spot in goal for Oostende. Against Club Brugge he showed that he was deserving of the spot. Despite conceding four times, he saved two spot kicks and made three other saves to keep his side in it. Unfortunately for the Englishman there was not much he could do for Casper Nielsen’s rebound from his penalty save and the own goal from Fanos Ketelaris.
Defenders
Daniel Munoz (Genk)
Genk’s 26 year-old Colombian right-back Daniel Munoz grabbed his career best fifth goal of the season at home to KV Mechelen. The former Atletico Nacional player has been ever present for Genk when fit at right-back and loves to get forward. At the other end, he won 4/5 of his ground duels and recovered the ball five times.
Noe Dussene (Standard Liege)
Not many would have Noe Dussene as their penalty taker, but the 30 year-old Belgian looked calm as he slotted in the 80th minute spot kick away to Zulte Waregem. He finished the game with 90% passing accuracy, as well as winning the majority of his ground and aerial duels.
Wolke Janssens (Sint-Truiden)
Despite throwing away a 2-0 lead before eventually winning 3-2, Sint-Truiden defender Wolke Janssens had an impressive defensive game. Janssens is a swiss army knife for Bernd Hollerbach, with the player able to play anywhere from centre-back to right wing. Janssens is currently a regular in the back three for the Canaries, and on Saturday he showed why. He won the most duels, seven out of seven, in the match. He also cleared the ball three times and recovered the ball five times. His 14 appearances so far this season means he has already surpassed the amount of games (11) he played last season.
Maxim De Cuyper (Westerlo)
Maxim De Cuyper is fast becoming a regular in the team of the week. Two goals scored, five chances created and 100 touches of the ball show how he is one of the most inform left-backs in the league. The 21 year-old has scored three and assisted four times this season, and while the two goals came in a loss, he was still a standout performer.
Midfielders
Joseph Paintsil (Genk)
Another top quality performances from Genk’s 24 year-old Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil. He grabbed a goal and an assist against KV Mechelen, while also creating three chances. The speedy winger was also the most fouled player on the pitch with four fouls. His goal on the counter for the 10 men of Genk sealed the win against a tough KV Mechelen side. Paintsil will be hoping that is performances for Genk this year will be enough to earn him a World Cup spot for the Black Stars.
Nicolas Raskin (Standard)
Many Standard fans were fearful that Raskin would be off in the summer. However, the 21 year-old midfielder stayed with his boyhood club, and on Saturday he made the difference against Zulte Waregem. The energetic midfielder completed the most passes in the game (64), won the most duels in the match (10) and also provided a wonderful assist for Stipe Perica’s second goal.
Teddy Teuma (Union)
Much like Raskin for Standard, Teuma is the heartbeat of the Union side. The Maltese international scored again to give himself four goals for the season, just two shy of his six last season. He also completed the most passes, highlighting how everything Union do goes through their captain. The club and fans were delighted when he signed a contract extension a few weeks ago.
Eric Bocat (Sint-Truiden)
Eric Bocat has made the left midfield spot of Sint-Truidens 3-5-2 his own with some impressive performances over the last few weeks. The former Mouscron player has adapted well to life in the Pro League after spending last season in the second tier, and grabbed a well taken assist for the opening goal against Westerlo at the weekend. That was his first assist of the season, which based on his performances so far should not be his last.
Forwards
Lior Refaelov (Anderlecht)
Despite being 36, Lior Refaelov proved on Sunday that he is still a class act. The Israeli scored two well taken goals against Eupen which got the side out of a tricky situation. While not being able to start as many games as he used to, Refaelov now has four goals for the season to go alongside his five assists. His all round game against Eupen was excellent as he looked dangerous throughout.
Kamal Sowah (Club Brugge)
At the other end of his career to Refaelov, 22 year-old Kamal Sowah has bounced back incredibly well from a difficult season last year. The former Leicester City player has made himself a key member of the side after returning from a loan spell with AZ Alkmaar in the summer, and on Saturday he was at his creative best. He created five chances, grabbing an assist and had a pass accuracy of 83%. This gives Sowah four assists for the season, and while he is yet to score in the league, he has found the net in the Champions League. Like Paintsil, he will be hoping for a call up to the Black Stars for the upcoming World Cup.
All stats from this article were taken from FotMob.
Ben Jackson – GBeNeFN
