Belgian Pro League review - Anderlecht vs Mouscron

29 July 2014 09:35

Early goals seem to be the motif of the opening day, and this game was no exception. Anderlecht pushed forward from the first minute on, and were rewarded with the 1-0 on the 15-minute mark, courtesy of Acheampong. Once they scored though, the current champions cut back on the gas, and rode it out to half-time.

As much as the home side were in control in the first half, Mouscron took the reins in the second, pushing back an at times shaky defence, with Badri equalizing in the 60th minute. The Walloons smelled blood, and kept attacking, forcing Anderlecht keeper Kaminski to perform some fantastic saves.

Anderlecht now had to go on the offensive, but struggled to hold the ball, let alone take apart a well-organized team, who clearly wanted more than a draw against the current champions. Not luring on the counter, Mouscron brought the fight to Anderlecht, who started to get back into their good form of the first half. Shots were fired at both sides, and both teams were evenly matched, resulting in an entertaining game of back-and-forth.

In the 76th minute, Anderlecht’s resilience paid off, when Serbian talent Mitrovic headed the ball in nicely. Five minutes later, that same Mitrovic provided the assist for Matias Suarez, just back from a severe injury. The finishing blow had been dealt, and Anderlecht were sure to win. They played out the game, and sent Mouscron packing with a loss. Les Mauves win their opening match, the first time since three seasons now.

Source: DSG