KVC Westerlo – RAAL La Louvière

For the very first meeting between the two clubs, we have to go back to September 1994. It ended in a goalless draw at the Kuipje and the father of the Hazards was in the Hainaut eleven at the time. The last time was in the spring of 2006, when we took all three points with a 2-1 victory and goals from Chris Janssens and Wim Mennes.

Previous match. The first leg earlier this season (matchday 11) ended in a 0-0 draw, a result that accurately reflected the balance of power between the two sides: lots of fighting spirit, little space and strong organisation on both sides. The expected goals were very low: 0.52 for RAAL and 0.58 for the Kemphanen. Neither team created any major chances.

Current season. As a newcomer to the league, La Louvière is doing very well. They mainly try to achieve results through organisation and collective football. Discipline, defensive solidity and quick counterattacks are the hallmarks of this team. Goalkeeper Marcos Peano is a reliable last line of defence and is often rated the best player, followed by the other five defensive players such as Yllan Okou, Djibril Lamego, Wagane Faye and Jordi Liongola. The latter two are doubtful for the match.

Westerlo news. Just before the match against Anderlecht, an alternative training session was scheduled on Wednesday afternoon in the form of a boxing session. The group atmosphere was excellent and many of the lads gave their all. So it’s time to put on those boxing gloves again this week and see who has raised their level in the meantime.

In terms of selection news, both Seiji Kimura and Josimar Alcocer will have to sit out this last home match of 2025.

The figures speak for themselves this season in terms of home games. Based on that alone, we are in fifth place after nine match days, behind Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Union and STVV. Only Union has conceded fewer goals at home; we have conceded six and Union has conceded two. 

Referee Anthony Letellier is known for his calm and consistent approach. His style suits matches in which physical duels and intensity are central. He also tries to keep the tempo high in the match, but takes a strict approach to repeated fouls and unsportsmanlike behaviour. When have we encountered him before? On match day 4 against Cercle Brugge (4-1 defeat) and on match day 12 against Dender (1-1 draw at the Kuipje). So far, these were the only two matches in which he acted as the main referee.