The unlikely man of the week was Anderlecht’s Tom De Sutter. The former Cercle Brugge striker has struggled since moving to Brussels, being faced by competition from first Romelu Lukaku, and latterly Dieumerci Mbokani, and a lack of faith on the part of Ariel Jacobs. On Saturday night though, it all came right for De Sutter as he came off the bench to score two goals in two minutes – in the last minutes of the game – to give Anderlecht an unlikely victory at Waregem. It’s unlikely to mean that De Sutter has a regular place in the team but it could be that he’s earned the right to stay at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium until the end of the season.
Anderlecht have been a bit wobbly in recent weeks and the enforced absence of Lucas Biglia – shoulder operation – is showing. Lukas Marecek had another chance to replace him on Saturday but the pressure seems to be too great for the young Czech. One young player who did grasp his chance at the weekend was Hannes van der Bruggen, Gent’s 18 year-old central midfielder. Replacing Tim Smolders, Van der Bruggen scored Gent’s opening goal in their deserved 2-0 victory over struggling Genk. Two men who took the eye for Gent were Christian Brüls who is fast becoming the first name on the team sheet and Congolese striker Petit-Pelé Mboyo who could become one of the stars of the Jupiler League if he gets enough starts.
Club Brugge won 1-0 again and the recent arrivals of Christophe Daum and Bojan Jorgacevic have had an immediate effect. Daum’s aim is to keep a clean sheet in every game and it’s not obvious how that fits with the club’s desire to win in an entertaining way – à la Barca. Standard Liege won again and coach José Riga seems to have found a team he’s happy with. That has Jelle Van Damme in central midfield alongside the impressive William Vainqueur and with Mémé Tchite as main executioner: seven goals in five games. Tchite says he’s returned to Belgium in order to play for the national team but having quadruple nationality he’s struggling to convince FIFA and the Belgian authorities that he has the right; primarily because he has allegedly played for the Burundi national team in the CECAFA Cup.
In the other games, Westerlo upset Mons – and all the other teams in relegation trouble – by aligning newly arrived Bart Goor under rule 913 and winning the match 2-1 Gor two assists), Sint Truiden won their first match at home this season and Kortrijk nipped into the playoff positions at the expense of Genk. How are the mighty fallen?
Results
Standard 3 KV Mechelen 2
Zulte Waregem 2 Anderlecht 3
Cercle Brugge 1 Lokeren 1
Westerlo 2 Mons 1
Lierse 0 Club Brugge 1
Sint Truiden 2 Leuven 1
Beerschot 0 Kortrijk 1
Gent 2 Genk 0