GAMES Anderlecht's good run was abruptly ended this afternoon with a 4-0 drubbing at Westerlo. The purple-and-whites were already behind after barely 40 seconds and went into the break 3-0 down, each goal the direct result of an Anderlecht error. The team produced nothing of note and defenders trembled at every ball. They can count themselves lucky it finished 4-0.
Anderlecht thus missed a chance to pick up valuable ground in the table. Next weekend against STVV they can show this was a one-off. What began as a golden opportunity to climb the standings quickly turned into a nightmare.
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Continue reading After barely 40 seconds Coosemans inexplicably erred: the experienced goalkeeper played a risky pass to De Cat, allowing Piedfort to win the ball centrally and slot home. From that moment Anderlecht seemed to crumble, as if the first stone had been thrown and the rest would follow. The team rarely settled on the ball; only Angulo showed the occasional spark. At the back it was a succession of poor passes and half-hearted duels. Sardella's clumsy loss of possession allowed Sakamoto to hit the inside of the post around the half-hour mark.
Four minutes later Westerlo made it count: after a poor pass from Hey, Ferri broke forward, shrugged off the Dane and Sayyadmanesh headed home from the ensuing cross to make it 2-0. The cup was not yet full: De Cat stood on Piedfort's heel in the penalty area and Sayyadmanesh converted from the spot for 3-0.
Hasi sent on Llansana, Maamar and Vazquez at the start of the second half. Anderlecht tried, with the courage of desperation, to change course, but the defence continued to shiver at every Kempen attack. Hey had, quite simply, a catastrophic afternoon and Sardella was little better. Shortly before the hour Reynolds finished off yet another attack, Maamar badly positioned, and it became 4-0. Anderlecht let it all happen far too easily. After the fourth Weserlo goal the home side could afford to ease off, but Coosemans still had to pull off a couple of saves because Anderlecht had effectively stopped defending.
There's no need to overdramatise a single poor display after a good run, but lessons must be learned. After a long period of defensive stability today's performance resembled slapstick at the back. With Kana and Augustinsson sidelined for a while, a solution must be found. Verschaeren and Stroeykens were also unable to prove Hasi wrong with any standout contribution. Anderlecht get a new big test next weekend at the Lotto Park against STVV and can then show this was indeed an off day.
