GAMES A weak Anderlecht once again failed to win. They lost 2-0 at STVV, who were the better side before the interval but could not find the net. Goto put the home team ahead in the 74th minute, even as Anderlecht showed signs of improvement after the break. Diarra's header was as close as they came to an equaliser, but Merlen made it 2-0 with a deflected shot late on.
Nothing new under the sun. Anderlecht produced another very poor first half but went into the break level at 0-0. They were not compact enough, lost almost every second ball, showed little penetration and were harmless on the counter. The most dangerous moment for the visitors was a low shot from Bertaccini early on.
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Continue reading Saliba picked up an early yellow and is now just one card away from suspension. After that booking he appeared to play with the handbrake on for the remainder of the match. STVV were sharper in the duels and were simply the better team. They combined well at times and caused problems for Anderlecht's defence. They didn't create many clear-cut chances, but could have scored on a few occasions. Anderlecht loanee Goto hit the post from distance and Coosemans made a couple of smart saves. Anderlecht could not complain about the 0-0 at half-time.
Anderlecht's best spell came between the 55th and 64th minutes, when they produced several openings that could have yielded a goal with a bit of luck. Ten minutes after the break Llansana had a first chance but couldn't keep his effort down. Shortly after, Bertaccini missed by half a metre. In the 64th minute Cvetkovic almost slipped the ball past Kokubo from a tight angle, but the goalkeeper turned it away for a corner. Camara and Hazard came on in the 69th minute. Although STVV were less fluent after the break, they still took the lead through Goto, who reacted like a true striker to steer a cross over the line. Sardella was too far out and arrived too late.
Anderlecht had to chase the game, but Kokubo denied Diarra's dangerous header — which would be Anderlecht's last real threat — and Merlen's deflected strike made it 2-0 in stoppage time. Third place is not definitively out of reach, but Anderlecht will now have to pick up points against Union or Club Brugge — and beat STVV at home (while hoping STVV don't accumulate many points).
Final score: 2-0 Goals: 1-0 Goto 74', 2-0 Merlen 90'+1
