STVV has booked an easy victory against basement team Zulte Waregem. The visitors had to play football for an hour with ten of them after red for Sormo, trainer Leye also received a red card for protest during half-time. Bruno shot an underage Essevee in the neck.
STVV – Zulte Waregem in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Despite the numerical majority and the clear predominance, STVV does not succeed in deepening its narrow lead. Only twenty minutes before the end can Bruno Zulte Waregem finally count out.
- Man of the match: Daichi Hayashi broke the spell for STVV tonight. He reacted alertly when Fadera unluckily headed through a kick from Schmidt and remained icy calm only for Bostyn. With the same coolness, he could have scored again in the final phase.
- Remarkable: Gianni Bruno is doing very well this season against his former team Zulte Waregem. In the first round he also led STVV to victory in the Rainbow Stadium. The attacker then opened the score in the first minute and scored a second time from the penalty spot.
Double blow for Essevee in ten minutes
As if there wasn’t enough pressure already, Zulte Waregem saw relegation competitor Kortrijk stunt against leader Racing Genk. Winning points was therefore a necessity at Stayen and the start was promising. Schmidt immediately had to pull out all the stops on a dangerous header from Sissako.
It was not the prelude to an attack wave. Gradually, STVV even pulled the sheet and just before half an hour that resulted in the opening goal. Fadera headed a long kick from Schmidt unluckily in the course of Hayashi and face to face with Bostyn who tapped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs: 1-0.
Less than ten minutes later, another blow for Essevee followed. Sormo clumsily kicked the ball at the back against Derijck and therefore had to pull the emergency brake at Bruno. Ref Lardot did not hesitate, the visitors suddenly had ten.
It almost got worse when STVV hit a corner immediately afterwards. After a great save by Bostyn, the 18-year-old Smets redeemed his first place in the starting line-up with a goal, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Hayashi finished well and gave STVV the lead.
Bruno has no mercy with ex-team
The tormented Zulte Waregem started the second half with the courage of desperation and without Mbaye Leye. The coach protested just a little too strongly after the first half and in turn got a red card from Lardot.
From the stands, Leye watched passively as Zulte Waregem sank further into the swamp. After barely 10 minutes Boya almost made it 2-0, an excellent reflex from Bostyn kept the visitors in the game.
Twenty before the end, the curtain finally fell for Zulte Waregem. Brüls cleverly passed the ball along to Bruno, who gave his ex-team the death blow with an angle shot. STVV ends the year in style, at Zulte Waregem the relegation worries are only increasing.
Bruno made it 2-0.
Gano: “February will be a very important month”
- Gianni Bruno (STVV): “We started the game well and kept the game well under control. We were able to open the score when both teams neutralized each other, that goal came at the right time. Zulte Waregem got a bit out of balance and then the red card came on top of it. In the second half we did well. We were able to score a second time and finished the game without any problems. This was a successful game, we remain in the running for the top eight and close 2022 nicely off.”
- Zinho Gano (Zulte-Waregem): “If you fall very quickly with 10 men, then you are on an island as a deep striker. It was a very difficult match. However, we started the match well, but then we swallowed that goal on that one long ball. STVV still had nothing created. Immediately after that we got that red card and then you know it will be difficult, especially in the situation we are in now. Mentally that is very difficult and when that second goal came, it was completely over. Everyone is there until the went ahead in the last minute, but with ten men it is not easy. We have not given much away, but we have not created anything. At home against KV Mechelen, we now have to win to gain confidence for the upcoming matches, because there is awaiting us a tough program against the bigger teams. February will be a very important month, then we will play against the direct competitors.”
