Fighting back after a 0-2 deficit, and seeing the winning goal cleared off the line in the last second. Spectacle in the second half at the Kuipje after a first 45 minutes without any real chances for our Kemphans and another excellent goalkeeper who saved us from a deficit there.

KVC Westerlo

‘No gifts are handed out for who gets to start in the starting line-up,’ clear words from our coach at the press conference following the visit of Charleroi. ‘A place in the team is rewarded according to the work ethic you show during the week,’ he added. If Alfie and Allahyar were top on the practice pitch this week then we expect them in the starting line-up. For our Englishman, it has been two weeks in a row now that he recorded an eager substitute and Sayyadmanesh always adds that something extra. Both were also involved in goals, one scoring, the other giving an assist. Knocking at the door is what they also call this.

Everyone – outside the long-term injured Bos and Haidara – is also deployable again, so it remains drumming for a place or seat among the 20 selected.

Against Charleroi, we will look for that first win in the P0s, although again this will be no bite-sized chunk. In the last 10 encounters between us, we won only once and the last three-peat at Kuipje against the Zebras was 10 years ago.

The kick-off will be taken by Toni Brogno. The now 51-year-old striker is still the only Westel player ever selected for the Red Devils. He eventually wore this jersey seven times, in which he did not score though. At the Kemphans, he was active for two periods: 1997-2000 and 2002-2004 with a total of 162 games, 71 goals and 12 assists and he is our all-time top marksman. Nice fact is that Toni also played 72 games at Charleroi, so we are sure every supporter is going to give him a heart to heart when he is there in the middle of the pitch.

Sporting Charleroi

The Carolos gained a lot of confidence by winning the Walloon derby last week. The only goal then fell just before half-time through a header goal by the smallest player (1m70) on the pitch.

Daan Heymans’ name will be clearly circled in the discussion, because this time it really won’t be true that this Kempen son will score against us again. No less than four times he already managed to do so in the past.

Coach Rik De Mil only managed to lose once in the previous seven meetings against Westerlo: five years ago with his Club NXT, it was 2-1 in Kuipje.

Of the players who won against Standard last week, seven of them were also in the starting line-up when they came to win on Kempen territory 6 weeks ago. Goalkeeper Delavallée, defenders Pétris and Andreou, midfielders Zorgane and Heymans and strikers Guiagon and Stulic. Heymans (11 apiece) and Stulic (9 apiece) score the most often and Guiagon (5 goals and 5 assists) is also often one of the most decisive pawns on the pitch. Another notable statistic of this Ivorian is that in 27 starts, he was replaced early no fewer than 25 times.

Referee

Once again, we may welcome Kevin Van Damme to the Kuipje. It is already the third time this season that he has come from West Flanders to the Stille Kempen, and it will be the fifth encounter with him in this competition. The last time was barely two weeks ago at Dender.

Text and statistics: Peter Boons