Union has taken revenge for the European nightmare on Scottish soil and the equally shameful defeat on the field of KV Mechelen. It dominated for ninety minutes against KV Kortrijk, but failed to score more than twice, causing the visitors to cling to the end. Teddy Teuma scored twice.
Four days after the painful elimination in the third qualifying round of the Champions League against the (Scottish) Rangers – in a seething Ibrox Stadium – Union immediately had an excellent chance of rehabilitation. In the Stade Joseph Mariënstadion, the temperature was still 30 degrees just after 8 p.m. Talk about a sultry summer evening. The opponent of service was KV Kortrijk. Ismael Kandouss was preferred by the people of Brussels over Ross Sykes. Karel Geraerts also let the top purchase, the 21-year-old Nigerian Victor Boniface (over from the Norwegian Bodo/Glimt), make his debut. He was preferred over Simon Adingra. Karim Belhocine made one change for the visitors. Bilal Messaoudi took the place of Pape Gueye who started on the bench
penalty kick
Union immediately took control of the game. After just seven minutes, the ball hit the dot. Lapoussin went down in a duel with Sissoko and the referee promptly whistled a penalty. Teuma put himself behind the ball and kicked the ball neatly into the right corner, where Ilic just couldn’t reach. Last season’s vice champion continued to dictate the law. After an individual action, Ilic took the shot from Lapoussin (10′). (Read more below the photo)
Lapoussin continued to be a scourge for the visiting defence. His shot to the short corner was defused by Ilic – just before half an hour. An attempt by Lynen lacked precision. A visibly irritated Belhocine was reprimanded by fourth referee Wim Smet because he coached outside the allowed zone. It did not inspire his team. Until KV Kortrijk finally got around to playing football in the last five minutes of the first half. First Selemani headed wide and a little later he went for a walk in the zone of truth, but was eventually stopped by Lazare.
coarse brush
Belhocine went through his starting eleven with a rough brush during the break and made no fewer than three substitutions at the start of the second half. There was not much improvement in the beginning. Union monopolized the ball and captain Teuma – with his second goal of the evening – doubled the score. He cut himself free and on the edge of sixteen meters he kicked the ball neatly into the right corner. Yet the Kortrijk residents did not give in. (Read more below the photo)
At the first real threat to Moris’s goal in the second half, an attempt by substitute Bruno was blocked on captain D’Haene’s pass and Selemani hit the rebound in the rebound. But Union was also not indifferent. Substitute Adingra just couldn’t reach a cross from
Vanzeir and that other substitute Puertas found a strong goalkeeper Ilic on his way. Vanzeir also failed to get past Ilic twice in the 80th minute. Nieuwkoop saw his shot miss the wrong side of the post and Teuma had something nice in mind. His goodbye whizzed over. The visitors’ final offensive lacked conviction and Union deservedly kept the three points at home.
UNION 2 – KV Kortrijk 1
Union: Moris, Kandouss, Burgess, Van Der Heyden (90′ Sykes), Nieuwkoop, Lynen (82′ El Azzouzi), Teuma, Lazare (68′ Puertas), Lapoussin, Vanzeir, Boniface (68′ Adingra)
KV Kortrijk: Ilic, Watanabe, Dessoleil (84′ Challouk), Radovanovic, Mehssatou (46′ Vandendriessche), Keita (46′ Bruno), Sissoko (46′ Gueye), D’haene, Mbayo (77′ Henen), Selemani, Messaoudi
Goals: 9′ Teuma 1-0 (str.), 58′ Teuma 2-0, 63′ Selemani 2-1
Yellow cards: 2′ Keita, 25′ Sissokho, 27′ D’Haene
Referee: Alexandre Boucaut
Spectators: 5.589
