KVC Westerlo – Standard

It will be a very tough week for our Kemphanen, with three matches in seven days, two of which are away games against the two best teams in our league, who have just recorded brilliant results in the Champions League.

KVC Westerlo

We start at the Kuipje against Standard. I read in the newspaper today: young versus old. We have the youngest starting line-up in our own country, but we are in fifth place in Europe.

The recent 6/6, including two clean sheets, should give us confidence to take on Standard. Winning three matches in a row: we did it last year, remember the start of the competition against Cercle, KV Mechelen and Union, and first place was a fact.

Standard at home suits us well, the last defeat on Kempisch territory dates back to 2010 and the last ten matches between the two sides have not been lost either. Still, it’s a nice statistic to present against a team that we had a hard time against in our early years in the top flight. Of the 50 matches played between the two sides, we have only won 12.

Thomas Van Den Keybus had to settle for a place on the bench at STVV, with winger Griffin Yow taking his place on the pitch and rewarding his selection with a goal. This goal puts him in first place in the current squad in terms of goals scored with 17, followed by Kyan Vaesen (16) and Thomas Van Den Keybus (10).

Captain and leader-by-example Dogucan Haspolat played his 200th game at the highest level and was also decisive with his assist for compatriot Emin Bayram, the 20th assist of his career.

Coach Charaï has a full squad of 28 players at his disposal.

Standard Liège

The Liège team were the first to change coaches. In the summer, several names were mentioned to take over from the departing Ivan Leko, but in the end, sporting director Marc Wilmots, former national coach, decided to appoint an old acquaintance as the new T1, Mircea Rednic, who was already coach in Liège 12 years ago. After five matches, he resigned with a points average of 1.4 – which was still better than his predecessors Leko (1.05) and Hoefkens (1.18).

Vincent Euvrard was then poached from fellow league team Dender. Two matches have already been played under his leadership: OHL won 1-0 and last week they drew 1-1 at home.

In that match, centre-back Homawoo had to leave the pitch with a horrific injury after suffering an epileptic seizure following a collision with his head. He is the third centre-back unavailable in the squad, after Bates and Hautekiet.

The following eight players are certain to start: goalkeeper Epolo, right-back and captain Marlon Fossey, centre-back Daan Dierckx, left-back Tobias Mohr, midfielders Ilaimaharitra and Nielsen, and forwards Said and Henry.

The other three places will be filled by Englishman Henry Lawrence, a defensive winger who also played centrally in Chelsea’s youth team, Belgian-Chilean Nayel Mehssatou, who joined from Kortrijk this summer, Mohammed El Hankouri, who started in Feyenoord’s youth team and made a name for himself last season with German club Magdeburg, right-back Adnane Abid, who joined from Patro Eisden, Ibrahim Karamoko, who is naturally a central midfielder and came on last week for the injured Homawoo, or will we see Dennis Eckert Ayensa as second striker?

Standard will also be looking to score points on Sunday, as they face some serious opponents in their next matches against Club Brugge, Anderlecht, Antwerp and Ghent.

Kevin Van Damme

Visiting the Kuipje for the eighth time. We recorded five draws, one win and one defeat with him:

• Westerlo vs Charleroi 2-2
• Vs Beerschot 2-2
• Vs Cercle Brugge 3-0
• Vs AA Gent 3-3
• Vs Roeselare 0-0
• Vs Cercle Brugge 2-3
• Vs Beerschot 0-0

Text and statistics: Peter Boon