Anderlecht finds solutions after the break

GAMES Anderlecht won with 3-0 against Seraing, which was reduced to ten men before half-time. Still, the Purple & White didn't have it easy. After substitute Kiese Thelin broke the spell, twenty minutes before the end, it scored two more goals.


Anderlecht played a bit too sloppy and too slow before half time, although it dominated. The problem was not finishing chances, but making sure opportunities came. At times the game was solid because there were some good combinations to detect. But sometimes it seemed that the players were trying to make it too difficult for themselves and in the end it just didn't work out.

After four minutes, a goal was rightly disallowed due to Verschaeren's handball. Anderlecht kept threatening, there were opportunities for Refaelov, Raman, Verschaeren and Zirkzee, but none of them got a finished chance. Seraing could only react with a few weak shots. It also lost Boulanger after 38 minutes with two yellow cards, his last card after going a little too wild on Raman. Pretty strict from Smet.

 Anderlecht had to beat an even more defending team from that moment on. That seemed to work in added time when Zirkzee managed to put a ball neatly into the goal, but the VAR noted that Raman was just offside at the start of the phase.

After the break it was again Zirkzee who threatened first, but Anderlecht played the ball around too much as if they were already on a safe lead. Kompany brought Kiese Thelin and Amuzu for Zirkzee and Verschaeren. It was only just after the hour that it got its first real chance after the break. Kiese Thelin had a weak and central header on goal. But ten minutes later, the Swede did a decent job. Refaelov sent Raman away, who gave neatly in front of the goal and Kiese Thelin was in the right place.

Anderlecht kept insisting, but had to keep their concentration to rule out any possible danger. Ten minutes before the end, Gomez brought Anderlecht to 2-0. The Spaniard was given a lot of space and struck out with a nice low shot. Kiese Thelin missed his second goal of the evening as he was on his way to Dietch alone. However, the goalkeeper held out a hand for it. In the final phase, Amuzu also pulled the trigger on Murillo's pass.

 Anderlecht have their first victory of the season. Still, the Purple & White didn't have it that easy and had to wait a long time for the lead. Anderlecht, however, remained patient and struck three more times in the last twenty minutes. Zirkzee's league debut was promising.

Score: 3-0
Goal(s): 1-0 Kiese Thelin (68'), 2-0 Gomez (81'), 3-0 Amuzu (90')

Anderlecht: Van Crombrugge, Murillo, Hoedt, Delcroix, Gomez (89' Mykhailichenko), Cullen, Olsson (89' Ashimeru), Verschaeren (58' Amuzu), Refaelov, Raman (74' Ait El Hadj), Zirkzee (58' Kiese Thelin)
Seraing: Dietsch, Faye, Nadrani, Boulenger, Kilota, Maziz (85' Pierrot), Cissé, Poaty, Jallow (46' Djedje), Mouandilmadji (78' Silini), Bernier (46' Mansoni)

Yellow: Boulenger (30'), Raman (57'), Amuzu (90+3')
Red: Boulenger (2x yellow 38')

Referee: Wim Smet
Stadium: Lotto Park