Belgian Pro League review - Zulte-Waregem vs Courtrai

29 July 2014 09:43

Zulte-Waregem and Courtrai have a lot alike: both young teams, both from West-Flanders, and both on a steady rise in the Belgian competition, Zulte even playing European football for the second season in a row. A clash between two very similar clubs on paper, but let’s find out if they were as matched on the pitch as well.

The first half started out calmly, both sides sizing each other up, looking for a weakness to exploit. It didn’t result in any goals just yet, but made for an entertaining start. The tension started to rise when Zulte appeared for goal, and newcomer Glynor Plet, who came over from Twente, inexplicably missed for open goal. A few minutes later, another chance from Waregem. Courtrai had been warned, but made some chances of their own, De Smet shooting it sky-ward.

Five minutes into the second half, the home side’s Idrissa Sylla scored a beauty, gently nudging the ball past the keeper. A mere two minutes had passed, or there was Sylla again, now heading it home. Courtrai tried to build up to a reaction, but could not find the strength to retaliate. Waregem even came close to 3-0, but Plet decided to go for personal glory, losing sight of Sylla, and ultimately shooting wide.

With the game over, Zulte-Waregem, despite losing key players in Thorgan Hazard and captain De Fauw, showed resilience and motivation, while Courtrai still has some work to on the transfer market, should they want to compete for a spot in Play-Off 1.

Source: DSG