Anderlecht U21 Dominates Crystal Palace 4-1 in Premier League International Cup Opener
Anderlecht’s under-21 squad opened their new League International Cup campaign in strong form on Oct. 14, 2026, defeating Crystal Palace 4-1 away from home.
Sternal Directs Three First-Half Goals to Build a Commanding Lead
Reinforced by Flips, the visitors built a three-goal advantage before halftime, with Sternal playing a direct role in all three scoring sequences. Sternal opened the scoring in the opening minute by converting a low, driven cross from Ndao into the corner of the net. Shortly after, Sternal drove through a solo run to set up Van de Ven for a straightforward finish. Just before the break, Sternal beat his defender along the baseline and delivered a cross that forced an own goal from a Crystal Palace defender, making it 3-0 at halftime.
Timmermans Makes Crucial Saves as Crystal Palace Press After Halftime
Crystal Palace applied significantly more pressure after the interval as Anderlecht surrendered some of their initial control. Goalkeeper Timmermans, who faced only two attempts in the first half, was forced into several sharp saves to protect the visiting lead. The English hosts eventually broke through to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 85th minute, briefly raising hopes of a late comeback before Anderlecht restored order.
De Ridder Converts Late Penalty to Seal the 4-1 Victory
Any momentum Crystal Palace gained late in the match was extinguished when Dao drove into the penalty area and drew a foul. De Ridder stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time, securing the 4-1 final scoreline.
Match Lineups and Substitutions
Anderlecht fielded a starting lineup featuring Timmerman, Liema, Engwanda, Wola, Koité, Sarr, De Ridder, Flips, Van de Ven, Sternal, and N’Dao. The visiting bench included substitutes Vanhoutte, Abdellaoui, Akomolede, J. Kana, Mujangi Bia, Benktib, and Dao. Tactical changes saw Benktib replace Van de Ven in the 63rd minute, followed by Mujangi Bia for Sarr and Dao for Sternal in the 78th minute. Late substitutions in the 87th minute brought on Akomolede for Koité and J. Kana for Flips. Meanwhile, Ede-Eriyo, Mahrough, Ghale, and Sylla were absent from the squad, and the club’s A-team roster comprised Seghers, Barry, Keita, Kalonji, Ojea, Nga Kana, and Onia-Seke.
