GAMES Anderlecht is making a very weak impression in the top games of the league this season. If we take a look at the results against the other clubs in the current top six, Anderlecht gets a paltry ten out of thirty.
Due to Leko's unpredictable Standard, the composition of play-off is not yet entirely fixed, but let's look at the results.
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Continue reading Antwerp - Anderlecht: 1-2 Ashimeru gave Anderlecht the full victory in the closing stages of the game. Anderlecht could count on a good Coosemans and an efficient finishing touch.
Union - Anderlecht: 0-0 Anderlecht could be happy with a draw against a weakened Union. This was the match of Rodriguez' bad penalty, but also the match in which it was already clear that Anderlecht couldn't make a fist against a weakened Union.
Anderlecht - Genk: 0-2 In the postponed match and also Riemer's last match, Anderlecht went down without a chance against Genk. Coosemans saved his team from a bigger defeat by taking a penalty.
Club Brugge - Anderlecht: 2-1 Purple and White were outplayed throughout the match by a more aggressive Bruges that failed several times to expand the score. Anderlecht hardly played an attack together but in the closing stages it still became exciting after Simic mitigated. In the last minute, both Vazquez and Zanka were able to score.
Anderlecht - Gent: 6-0 The best top match, but also a match in which Anderlecht scored at the right moment, was very efficient and had the necessary luck (deviated ball, owngoal ...). Gent was also quickly reduced to ten and ended the match with nine players.
Genk - Anderlecht: 2-0 Genk again overpowered Anderlecht on all counts. Fortunately, the panicky purple and white defense could count on Coosemans to prevent worse. Anderlecht only threatened a few times through Edozie, but was otherwise nowhere in attack.
Anderlecht - Club Bruges: 0-3 A very weak Anderlecht lost 0-3 against an efficient Club Bruges that seemed to play on automatic pilot. Anderlecht got some chances before half-time, but after 45' Club already led 0-2. Anderlecht had no chance to put things right.
Ghent - Anderlecht: 1-0 A very weak Anderlecht lost because of a gaffe by goalkeeper Kikkenborg who offered Gent the 1-0 on a silver platter. N'Diaye let himself be caught by Gent's mates and received two yellow cards. Anderlecht was only dangerous in the closing stages when Gent was reduced to ten men.
Anderlecht - Antwerp: 2-0 In a close game, two goals by Dolberg doom Antwerp. Anderlecht won deservedly, but Dolberg's class was needed to take these goals.
Anderlecht - Union: 0-2 A not even playing well Union wins almost on autopilot at Anderlecht. Purple and white, as often in top matches, can hardly create any danger.
So Anderlecht barely gets ten out of thirty in the top matches. Especially against Bruges, Genk and Union it became clear how hopeless this Anderlecht is against these clubs. They didn't even always have to play well to push Anderlecht away, play out of context on a breakout and by silencing them offensively. Usually a goal was enough to take away all hope from purple-white. The win matches against the top clubs came mainly due to great efficiency and the individual class of Dolberg in particular.
This is a serious step backwards compared to last season. Back then, all top matches and results weren't great either, but there was usually a feeling that Anderlecht could get a result and they regularly did. If Anderlecht wants to mean something in Play-off 1, it will have to rely on the complete core, something which has almost never succeeded this season. Moreover, a number of key players will have to be in really serious shape to narrow the level difference with the top three. At the moment, unfortunately, this scenario seems to belong rather in the category of fiction.
