Jupiler Pro League – matchday 22 – 25/01/26 – 18:33
Barely 2 out of 12 in the competition. Anderlecht was unable to break its negative streak in the Jupiler Pro League against red lantern Dender. After a weak first half, the Purple & White were unable to capitalize on their chances even after half-time. And so Anderlecht sees the top three erode further and further in the rankings.
Anderlecht – Dender in a nutshell
- Man of the match
Kobe Cools is the heart of Dender’s defense and had to do a lot of work again today, together with the whole of Dender, which was solid.
- Key moment
The chances in this match could be counted on one hand, but immediately after the break Anderlecht came very close three times in just a few seconds. Saliba, Bertaccini and Hazard couldn’t get the ball in.
- Remarkable
With Stromae present, it was the ideal moment to let the new goaltune blare through the Lotto Park again. None of that, for the first time since September Anderlecht cannot score at home.
It was a great spectacle for the match in the Lotto Park. Stromae’s new goal music, a remix of the classic ‘Anderlecht Champion’, by Grand Jojo had to be inaugurated with a spectacle for the great musician, by the great musician.
It meant fireworks and a light show in Brussels, but once the ball rolled that didn’t happen. Anderlecht gave up on Dender’s direct play and at times failed to get out of their own half during the opening quarter.
After a double save on Nsimba, Coosemans had to wake up Kana, an image to summarize the match.
Missed opportunities
Anderlecht started with Ozcan and Sikan in the team, at left back and in striker. After the break they showed a little more why they deserved it, but it remained for the Purple and White searching football.
Immediately after the coffee, Nsimba fell just short, the triple chance in which Sikan, together with Bertaccini and Hazard, did not get the ball into the net, was the highlight of the second half immediately afterwards.
Dender, which was really dangerous before halftime, slumped more and more.
Perhaps the right choice for Dender, for the neutral spectator it was longing for the final whistle. The Cat dropped out, Gallon stopped Saliba from close range.
Boos from the Anderlecht fans, the Cadavers celebrate.
Gauthier Gallon (Dender): “We are playing a good match, solid. Our first half is good, maybe we should go into the changing rooms with a goal. In the second half we were more backward, but we remained strong defensively. I did have to do my part for the clean sheet, but it is the team that was also great. With what we showed today we should not be at the bottom of the rankings, with a little more killer instinct we will score a goal. We will see what happens.”
Thorgan Hazard (Anderlecht): “We were simply nowhere in the first half. If we played the entire match like the second half, we would have taken the three points. You have to score before half time against a team like Dender to open the game, they certainly came after half time to get one point and then perhaps wanted to take the win on a counter in the end, but it is up to us to do much better here at home. We are now in a bad period, it is up to us to get out of it.”
“Everyone at Dender has a bit of the same story”
Hayk Milkon (Dender): “We came here to play football with courage, but at the same time we kept the intensity without the ball. That combination is very clever. It was obvious that there was only one team on the field at that time that was dominant and that happened to be the visitors, us. Or not coincidentally. We were omnipresent that first half, in the second half we had to remain disciplined, continue to carry out our tasks until the last breath. Then you see that they start to despair and start kicking at goal from a distance much more, everything goes force.”
“We all have the same story at Dender, the players and the staff: either we rose from a lower level to here, or we came from a higher level and want to prove ourselves at a lower level. We have the same story, we can use that positively to show ourselves.”
End
No goals, no winner at Lotto Park. In the first half, Dender was the team that should have scored, in the second half it was actually Anderlecht. Not that the home team played well, the tribute to Grand JoJo and the spectacle of Stromae before the match made us bounce back the most.
This was the ultimate opportunity for a mauve victory, Hazard gets a falling ball on the edge of the sixteen but doesn’t do enough with it. Too forced, his shot goes wide.
No, on the contrary! Dender is able to escape again, but the play-out is dramatic on both sides. Berte forgets to send Nsimba, and afterwards Anderlecht can’t figure it out either. Nsimba tries to stop another counter, arrives too late and in turn takes a yellow card.
The same Moutha-Sebtaoui now takes down Kanaté and takes a yellow card. Free kick for Hazard, from the right of the box. Can Anderlecht still do something with this?
Adnerlecht also tries something in extra time, but Dender is able to escape again. Kana is back quickly enough and can intercept Moutha-Sebtaoui’s ball before Acquah can storm with it to Coosemans.
An extra 6 minutes will be added.
Moutha-Sebtaoui enters the field. Last season he played for the Futures, now he plays at Lotto Park. For the opponent, of course.
Marco Kana holds Nsimba up when he wants to put pressure on a cleared ball and is then fouled. Rightly so and a bit stupid of Kana, because that’s how Dender can advance.
Anderlecht now keeps Dender in its own sixteen, but at a comfortable distance from Gallon. Predictable, stiff, viscous… Anderlecht’s attacks threaten no one.
Kanaté has come in well for Bertaccini and makes room for himself in the box. His shot is like so many shots today: wild.
Dender may now be satisfied with this point.
Tom Boudeweel on Radio 1
Stretchy time
Mbamba has felt something and lies down, much to the dismay of the home fans. De Cremer makes a great attempt to reassure the fans and points to his clock. “Time stands still, guys.”
