Anderlecht clinch unexpected win in the closing stages
SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2026, 09:12 - lajoya
GAMES Anderlecht won 1-2 at Cercle Brugge. It was fair to call it a minor miracle, given that the mauves and whites produced a truly disastrous performance. Yet in the closing stages, Bentayeb and Bertaccini still turned a 1-0 deficit into a 1-2 victory. Anderlecht played a terribly poor first half at Cercle.
They tried to build from the back through Coosemans and Koutsoupias, but Cercle had no trouble dealing with it. A few minutes later, though, the deadlock was broken after yet more misfiring in possession. This time Kana was the one guilty of dangerous and sloppy build-up play, allowing Manneh to be left all alone in front of goal, where he scored. Anderlecht still had 35 minutes before the break to respond, but absolutely nothing happened. Cercle waited to strike on the counter, while Anderlecht played far too slowly and carelessly. They gave the ball away repeatedly and failed to threaten even once.
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Continue reading Could it possibly get worse after the break? Not worse, but just as bad. Bruno brought on Antman and Cvetkovic for Ambros and Sikan. But there was little sign of improvement. Bruno then raised eyebrows by also turning to the seemingly cast-off Stroeykens and Bertaccini. With 15 minutes to go, Anderlecht still had zero chances to their name. Ngoura did pose a threat at the other end with a low shot. Coosemans stretched out and made a good save. In the 85th minute, Anderlecht finally managed their first chance. Bentayeb was left completely free and headed a Pétrot cross into the net with great composure. Five minutes later, the Moroccan also had the 1-2 at his feet, but after a hesitation in the Brugge defence he shot too centrally at Coucke.
Even so, Anderlecht would still manage to turn things around. Stroeykens played a fine ball to Antman, who delivered a good cross. Bertaccini appeared unmarked at the right moment in front of goal and firmly headed the 1-2 past Coucke. And so Anderlecht escaped an embarrassing defeat in miraculous fashion. Winning such a poor match is a quality in itself, but it remains striking that Anderlecht could not get a shot on target for 85 minutes and failed to register a single chance.
Of course, a match lasts until the final whistle. What is more, Stroeykens and Bertaccini showed that they can still play a role. Anderlecht snatched a 1-2 win at Cercle Brugge thanks to late goals from Bentayeb and Bertaccini. The visitors delivered a dreadful first half and went behind after 11 minutes when Manneh punished sloppy build-up play from Kana, finishing into the corner after yet another mistake in possession. For the rest of the half, Anderlecht offered virtually nothing. Cercle were content to wait and strike on the counter, while the visitors moved the ball far too slowly and carelessly, losing it again and again without ever managing to threaten. After the break, Bruno introduced Antman and Cvetkovic, but the pattern hardly changed.
Later, Stroeykens and Bertaccini also came on. With a quarter of an hour remaining, Anderlecht had still not created a chance, while Coosemans had to intervene on a low Ngoura effort at the other end. Then, in the 85th minute, Bentayeb equalised by heading in a Pétrot cross after being left completely free. Five minutes later he nearly completed the turnaround, but Coucke denied him after a hesitation in the Brugge defence. The comeback was nevertheless completed in stoppage time, when Stroeykens set up Antman, whose cross found Bertaccini, and the striker headed home the winner. It was a miraculous escape for Anderlecht, who somehow turned a dire performance into three points. Still, the fact remains that for 85 minutes they were unable to produce a single shot on target or a real chance. A match lasts until the final whistle, and Stroeykens and Bertaccini showed they can still make a difference.
