- 45′ – Goal – Dries Wouters (1 – 1)
- 42′ – Goal – Matisse Samoise (0 – 1)
- 38′ – Yellow – Birger Verstraete
- 90+1′ – Yellow – Matisse Samoise
- 89′ – Cont. Hong Hyun Seok by Laurent Depoitre
- 81′ – Verv. Dimitri Lavalée door The Story of the Snake
- 76′ – Substitution. Sven Kums door Vadis Odjidja Ofoe
- 76′ – Verv. Alessio Castro-Montes door Malick Fofana
- 73′ – Verv. Enock Agyei door Julien Ngoy
- 62′ – Cont. Alec Van Hoorenbeeck by Yonas Malede
- 62′ – Verv. Sandy Walsh door Iebe Swers
Jupiler Pro League
In the battle for the top 4, Ghent got stuck on a 1-1 draw at KV Mechelen. In the second half, Cuypers and Okumu came close to scoring the winning goal, but it was no longer possible to score. Thanks to Club Brugge’s earlier loss of points, Ghent will start the last day of the regular competition in fourth place.
KV Mechelen – Ghent in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Samoise breaks the spell a few minutes before half time, but Mechelen is not immediately in the ropes. Three minutes later, Dries Wouters shakes a wonderful escape shot out of his slippers. Good for scoring.
- Man of the match: No one really stood out. Then Matisse Samoise who saw his energy redeemed with the opening goal.
- Remarkable: Due to Club Brugge’s draw at Westerlo, Ghent still has its fate in its own hands. A win against already relegated KV Oostende and the coveted spot for the Champions’ Play-offs is a fact.
Wouters kicks in the leather wonderfully
After three defeats and no less than nine goals against, they were not in the mood to hold another open day at Mechelen. Steven Defour planted a five-man defense in the loss of possession with two more controlling midfielders in front of it. It became such an extremely difficult task for Ghent to be able to dismantle that defense belt.
It didn’t immediately make the party very attractive. The goalkeepers watched unemployed for a long time and saw how Tarik Tissoudali, back in the base for the first time, still created a danger. Turn and shoot, but his attempt sailed just wide.
We seemed to go to rest without goals, although Samoise changed that. The Buffalo finished it off perfectly: 0-1.
The hardest part has happened, you think. But then Dries Wouters’ moment had come. The defensive midfielder controlled the leather after a corner kick and then brushed the ball wonderfully into the top corner. A great hit.
Cuypers and Okumu leave the 1-2
Orban, who started on the bench, came to relieve Tissoudali. That did not immediately bring much success. Nevertheless, Ghent came very close to the winning goal twice. Cuypers headed a huge chance but narrowly wide, after which Bates was able to deflect Okumu’s shot from the line.
Vanhaezebrouck and co. have to be satisfied with a point Behind the Barracks. Even after today, the Buffalos can decide for themselves about their fate for a ticket to the top four. With this result, Mechelen can regain some confidence towards the ultimate goal: the cup final.
Defour: “Players have understood the message”
- Steven Defour (KV Mechelen): “I think this is a good start to the next two games. Today I saw the mentality that I like to see. If you put more intensity in the game, the opponent will get a bit more difficult anyway. The players have the understood the message that they had to step up their game.”
- Hein Vanhaezebrouck (KAA Ghent): “We made a lot of attempts on goal, especially in the second half. We had a few very big chances that we had to do better with. It’s a pity that we didn’t defend sharply on that corner just before half-time. I think Nardi didn’t have to take anything. If you don’t score, you have to pay attention at the end. I have to say that we defended very carefully. My defense was fine today.”
2023-04-16 21:08:36
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