RAAL and La Gantoise shared to open this new Pro League day (1-1). Wolves can thank Davy Roef, who provided the equalizer on a platter.
With Charleroi, Rik De Mil had failed to score a single goal at La Louvière in 180 minutes. But at La Gantoise, the dynamic was very different with eight goals scored in the last two matches against Anderlecht and Standard. Unsurprisingly, the Buffalos fielded the same eleven as against the Rouches. Stability also on the side of Frédéric Taquinwho still brought Thierry Lutonda into his team to bring more creativity than Samuel Gueulette behind the attackers.
For the start of the weekend, the two teams did not really exude the fever of Friday evening in the first half hour, rich…with a meager strike to put to the credit of Ghent and far from the goals of Marcos Peano. The start of the match gave rise to a very tactical opposition with two very compact blocks, with no space to exploit.
It was at a standstill that the match almost broke the deadlock: RAAL’s first strike, a direct free kick from Jordi Liongola, caused the goal to shake. Enough to launch a more lively third quarter of an hour: immediately, Peano was on parade after a number from Tiago Araujo in the rectangle. The first act, however, ended with an injury, that of Joël Ito, replaced by Samuel Gueulette after a breakdown, 0-0 at rest.
Unlike the first act, the first opportunity of the second half was the right one. And unfortunately for the RAAL, it allowed La Gantoise to go 0-1. The Wolves can only blame themselves: Araujo is left too free to cross and Hyun-seok Hong passes too easily in front of Liongola at the far post (56th, 0-1).
Also read… Muzzled attackers, Gillot supersub: RAAL’s notes against La Gantoise›
Roef only had one stop to make…and crashed
With his back to the wall, Taquin reacted by launching Nolan Gillot to bring in more crosses and gave his first minutes to Cristian Makaté, who arrived on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise this week. But we had to wait to see the effects. The RAAL struggled for a long time against Ghent’s skilled defense.
When this does not happen in the game, we must then count on a stopped phase or an error from the opponent. The Wolves had both for the price of one on a free kick from Gillot, very poorly judged by Davy Roef, overcome in a very surprising way, to the great pleasure of the Easi Arena (81st, 1-1).
A blunder which seals the fate of the game: Ghent concedes sharing and could be joined by Charleroi in the event of a victory for the Zebras in Saint-Trond. For its part, the RAAL is well paid with this point in view of its second half and will undoubtedly not be choosy in the fight for maintenance.
