Anderlecht beat Ekranas 5-0

Anderlecht had no trouble beating Lithuanian team Ekranas at home. After 90 minutes play, the scoreboard showed a 5-0 victory in favor of Anderlecht, which seems to make the return leg otiose.


John van den Brom changed his starting eleven just in one place, compared to the game at Kortrijk in the league. Striker Tom De Sutter replaced Reynaldo, and took place next to Mbokani.

A change that would soon pay off: after only 2 minutes, left back Safari gave a great center and De Sutter thanked him with a great finish.

After that, Anderlecht was dominating, with high pressure and fast combinations. Ekranas could hardly handle the tempo and caved again after 20 minutes, when Kanu shot the ball marvelously in the back of the net, after Mbokani's shot had first been blocked.

As it seemed, Mbokani was just warming up. Only 3 minutes before half-time, Tom De Sutter, who would later be named 'Man of the match', presented Mbokani with the 3-0. A left-footed shot which really should have been no problem for the opposing goal keeper. Nevertheless, the ball went in.

After 53 minutes, after a recuperation by Kanu, Jovanovic launched Mbokani, who could have centered the ball and thereby hand the goal on a silver platter to Biglia, but chose to finish the action himself, with succes.

The 4-goal lead caused Anderlecht to play slower, but Ekranas was simply physically weaker. Youngster Fernando Canesin was brought into the game to pick up the pace again. He presented the ball to defender Denis Odoi, who assisted Milan Jovanovic with the 5-0.

The former 4-3-3 was replaced by a classic 4-4-2 and it paid off. Coach John van den Brom seems to have found his dreamteam. Anderlecht played with high pressure and fast execution. The return leg, next week in Lithuania, seems needless, but of course in football, you never know.