Vincent Kompany has his first victory as coach of Anderlecht. The Purple & White set Cercle Brugge aside with the support of the public. Nmecha made his first from the spot and after the break Murillo doubled the score. Anderlecht now come next to Club in the rankings with 9 points.
Anderlecht – Cercle Brugge in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Halfway through the second half, they are asleep at Cercle when Trebel quickly plays a free kick in the course of Murillo. The Panamanian finishes in a controlled manner and secures the victory for Anderlecht.
- Man of the match: Sambi Lokonga got his first starting place since matchday 1 and thanked coach Kompany for their confidence with a very solid game as the central pawn in the midfield for the Purple & White.
- Remarkable: Sardella and Verschaeren were expected to kick off, but Kompany dusted off Vranjes and Bakkali. Not much remains of the promise to fully opt for their own youth.
Nmecha breaks the spell from the dot
Kompany surprised with Bakkali and Vranjes in the base, but it was the Bosnian who decorated the first chance of the match. Vranjes’ header landed on the roof of the goal.
With about 6000 supporters in the Lotto Park, Anderlecht took over the game resolutely. Scoring opportunities followed for Tau, Nmecha and Doku, but it took until minute 35 before the home team could wipe the zero off the board. After a penalty foul on Tau, Nmecha took on ex-Anderlecht goalkeeper Didillon from eleven meters.
After the 1-0 it all went a bit less at Anderlecht. Cercle Brugge seized his chance to advance and even came close to the equalizer. Musaba got the chance to bring the visitors alongside, but he rammed the ball wildly into the stands.
Loss of concentration breaks up Cercle acid
In the second half, Anderlecht increased the pace again, although they lacked the sharpness in front of the goal to quickly put the match in a decisive fold. Bakkali and Nmecha turned up dangerously in front of goal, but were unable to finish.
For example, Cercle could keep hoping for points, until the visitors were easily surprised by a quick free kick from Anderlecht. Murillo took full advantage and pushed the 2-0 past Didillon in goal. Game played, although Cercle forced a few more chances of the connection goal – without success.
The final phase was still dominated by the substitution of Yari Verschaeren, who is waiting for his first starting place this season. Verschaeren had the 3-0 at the foot after a nice combination with Tau, but went over.
Kompany: “The next working point is effectiveness”
- Vincent Kompany (coach Anderlecht): “It is a deserved victory. I am especially happy with the sharpness in our team, even at times when we did not have the ball. And in the end we let the ball go well. We did not fall into the trap of the previous one. matches, when we got too nervous on the ball. I am happy with the result and the way in which the next work point is now that we become even more efficient in front of goal, because there was more in it. We have a wealth of talent. Yari Verschaeren showed during the week that he deserved to make minutes today and seize his chances. His performance was therefore a reflection of his week. “
- Paul Clement (coach Cercle Bruges): “We were beaten by a strong Anderlecht, with a lot of offensive threat and many young, qualitative players. I am disappointed that we did not do more with the few great chances we had. Because Anderlecht had the ball, we had in the first half the best two chances. After half time we stayed in the game with a 1-0 score, but how that second goal is achieved is really disappointing. The players always have to be ready, that is their job. Something like that should not happen. After that we had lost our game and the score could even have ended. It is the credit of my players that they kept fighting, otherwise it could have been 4-0 or 5-0 . “
- Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht): “I am happy that I got a few minutes to play. And then with the audience, that was fantastic. I have always kept working hard and waiting for my chance. The supporters give me a lot of support and energy. had wanted to give them a goal, so I was a bit frustrated that I missed that chance at 3-0. On to the next one. Hopefully I get more chances. The competition is always fierce. The only thing I can do about it is keep working.”
Kompany: “Satisfied with the result and the way in which”
Tau: “I see progress with myself and the team”
Vanhoutte: “The second goal should not really come”
