Anderlecht celebrate with a high-five and the rest need to catch up

Last night, Anderlecht thrashed Gent 5-0. The Brussels team played well but there was no opposition to speak off. Gent are imploding as a football club, they have sacked their coach, sold key players and those

remaining have lost their way. John Van den Brom doubtless gave the Anderlecht players a kick up the backside after the woeful display at Charleroi and it worked. Bringing back Sacha Kljestan in midfield was a masterstroke and Dennis Praet is growing in confidence in every game.
There’s a full programme tonight – the remaining seven games – and remarkably they all kick off at the same time. Only six points cover the clubs behind Anderlecht, from 2nd place (Zulte Waregem) to 10th (Standard Liege).
Zulte Waregem play Charleroi and will go top if they win. Franck Berrier, Habib Habibou and Thorgan Hazard are all on form and Charleroi will have to repeat last Saturday’s performance to get something out of the game. Onur Kaya was excellent against Anderlecht and a lot of Charleroi’s hopes depend on him.
Club Brugge go to Lierse and if they don’t take the three points, many questions will be asked. There’s been talk of Georges Leekens getting the sack and results have indeed been pathetic in recent weeks. Lierse have won once this season and Carlos Bacca may enjoy the evening.
The match of the night sees unbeaten Racing Genk play Standard, a club under new management: Romanian Mircea Rednic. The match is sold out and Benji De Ceulaer is fit to play alongside Jelle Vossen in the Genk attack. Rednic is unlikely to make many changes for Standard; Nacho Gonzalez is likely to miss the game as he’s injured again! One would expect Genk to win here.
Kortrijk, in fifth place, go to Mons. Hein Van Haezebrouck is getting good results again at Kortrijk – after his failure at Genk – and his team could be too strong for an inconsistent Mons.
Leuven play KV Mechelen and that should be a cracking match. The home side have won their last four games and in Ibou, they have the league’s leading scorer. Mechelen have won their last two games and they will be hoping to take at least a point.
The other two games will probably be ones that only their fans will be keen to see, with just one proviso, the appearance of Eidur Gudjohnsen for Cercle Brugge. The two matches are Cercle Brugge vs. Beerschot and Lokeren vs., Waasland–Beveren. Beerschot never travel well and Cercle – having sacked Bob Peeters – may pick up three points. Lokeren – who are improving – have injuries but should be too strong for a Beveren side that looks to be a strong candidate to go back to division 2.