GAMES Anderlecht won 1-0 against Häcken and only created a few chances, with Dolberg converting the best. Häcken certainly didn't let up and created three good chances, but fortunately, the Swedes always shot wide of the target. Next week, Anderlecht will have a full workload on Häcken's artificial pitch.
Anderlecht started the match well, with Angulo as the most striking player. Goalkeeper Berisha had to make a strong save on a shot from Stroeykens. Dolberg was unable to capitalize on the rebound.
Continue reading below the article
Continue reading After twenty minutes, the Swedish cup winners broke through, and alarm bells immediately rang. The Purple & White were easily caught on a counter-attack, but Svanback placed the ball wide after Hey had returned. Ten minutes later, Häcken had another good chance after N'Diaye's poor intervention. Layouni sent the ball wide.
After Häcken missed the chances, Anderlecht struck. Stroeykens laid back, but a poor intervention by the Swedes sent the ball to Dolberg's feet. The Dane – who else? – calmly scored their first goal of the season. The Purple & White certainly couldn't complain about the halftime score.
Anderlecht started the second half with a good motivation, but that didn't result in a single opportunity or chance. Häcken even took control of the match, resulting in another great chance in the 69th minute. This time, Rygaard failed to score.
Anderlecht, after a solid start, looked rather pale after the break. Even in the period when the Swedes took more risks, they couldn't break through. The Purple & White didn't get another chance until the 81st minute, when Hazard had a shot, but Berisha cleverly saved it.
Anderlecht couldn't push forward in attack and were therefore held to a narrow 1-0 victory, a starting position that means qualification is far from assured. The early European matches remain a curious occurrence, as they come early in the season, and we're curious to see who will still be in Anderlecht's starting lineup after the transfer window expires.
