ANDERLECHT VS ST.LIEGE PREVIEW & PREDICTION
What no one thought possible at the start of Play-off 1 has happened anyway. Both Anderlecht and Standard can still win the title. The team that wins this game will fight for the title together with Club Brugge.
Anderlecht :
Never write down Anderlecht. If everyone thinks that the people from Brussels are knocked out, they will straighten out again. In 2014 a victory at Club Brugge led them to an impossible title and now everyone thinks that a similar scenario is used with purple-white blood. Anderlecht are alive again. After the defeat on match day against AA Gent, RSCA had nine points behind Club and never a team made such a gap. But suddenly purple-white is still only two points in the chalk and plays it two more times at home.
Anderlecht had to make the difficult move to Club Brugge last weekend. The first half was similar to a few chances on both sides. There was an unfounded penalty on Hans Vanaken where the Purple & White got well away. After a flare from the Bruges goalkeeper, Anderlecht took the lead. It could double its lead by punishing weak Bruges defenses. Anderlecht did not let the home team come any further than the tying goal.
The joy in the Brussels dressing room was immense. ‘The great sages said that winning was impossible here’, Hein Vanhaezebrouck sneered at the analysts. “They talked about the weakest Anderlecht ever. I thought that was pulled by the hair. Yes, we took Club Brugge in December 5-0, but I prefer to win twice in the playoffs against them. We are on course for the second place ‘, Hein kept all the pressure away. ‘Whether or not there is more, will depend on Club Brugge itself. If they win three more times, they always take the title. ”
St. Liege:
Standard was sixth after the regular season, with twenty-three points behind leader Club Brugge. Two months and a halving later that are only four meager points and do it fully for the title. More even: next Sunday it can just be in pole position. Thursday stunts in Anderlecht: why not? Winning home at home on Sunday: why not? With a sixteen in twenty-one, fresh, offensive football and a sublime Mehdi Carcela, the Rouches are the attraction of Play-off 1.
Standard received the Limburgers from Genk last weekend. The visitors had the first big chance and luckily there was the excellent save from goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Not much later it was hit on the other side where the goalkeeper missed out on a far shot from Mehdi Carcela. Standard received a trust boost and Genk barely got a foot on the ground. In the second half, the train went on to a heavy 5-0.
“We are enjoying ourselves,” said a wide-grinning Paul-José Mpoku after the 5-0 win. ‘We also have nothing to lose. We already have the cup and European football and thus play without pressure. Unlike Club Brugge, which feels more and more busy. What now? We’re going to try to beat Anderlecht, eh. Yes, we can just play champion, that’s the crazy thing about the playoffs. But we look at it match by match. ‘
PREDICTION: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.80
