OH Leuven – KVC Westerlo

Blood, sweat and tears: that’s what it took last week to grind out a draw against reigning champions Union. On Saturday at 4 p.m., our Kemphanen travel to OH Leuven, where they will have the chance to return to ’t Kuipje with three points.

KVC Westerlo

After being reduced to ten men just half an hour into last weekend’s match, many feared it would become a difficult afternoon. Nothing could have been further from the truth: with a man down, we held the proud league leaders to a draw. Coach Charaï was therefore proud of the way his players reacted: “They had to adapt quickly after that red card. Even after that, we still got the best chance to maybe win the match. So I can only say: hats off.” The 0–0 draw also marked the ninth clean sheet of the season for Charaï’s men.

In the standings, our Kemphanen currently occupy ninth place with 35 points. For the trip to Den Dreef, we will certainly be without Nsiala after his red card last matchday. Ferri also accumulated five yellow cards, meaning he will be suspended as well. In Leuven, however, we can count on the support of a sold-out away section, partly thanks to the free buses provided by the Westels Supporters Platform. The club is also organizing a pre-party at ’t Kuipje, and around 2 p.m. we will wave off the players’ bus together.

Because OH Leuven and Cercle Brugge dropped points in their last matches, the gap to thirteenth place now stands at seven points. With a win on Saturday, we could already secure a spot in Play-off 2. However, the players are mainly looking upward in the table. “I still believe in that top six. In recent weeks we’ve been playing good football and those victories have given us confidence,” said Arthur Piedfort in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. With three matches remaining, the end of the regular season promises to be an exciting one.

OH Leuven

Last weekend, the team from Leuven played away at RSC Anderlecht, where they suffered a heavy 5–1 defeat. OHL actually took the lead in the 6th minute thanks to a wonderful goal by Oscar Gil, but after that Anderlecht took control. Around the half-hour mark, defender Pletinckx unfortunately turned the ball into his own net to make it 1–1. After halftime, things moved quickly: first Hazard scored from a free kick, and shortly afterward Cvetkovic made it 3–1. In the 71st minute, Hazard converted a penalty to put the score at 4–1. In the final minute, Bertaccini added the fifth goal to complete the defeat. After such a setback, Leuven will undoubtedly be eager to bounce back.

In that match, Leuven lined up in a 3-4-3 formation with: Prévot, Akimoto, Nyakossi, Pletinckx, Teklab, Łakomy, Verstraete, Gil, Verlinden, Ikwuemesi and Maziz.

Coach Felice Mazzu can count on an almost fully fit squad on Saturday. Only goalkeeper Leysen remains sidelined with a serious head injury. Defender Dussenne is also suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Anderlecht. Players to watch include Pletinckx (3 goals, 6 clean sheets), Łakomy (3 goals, 3 assists), Verlinden (2 goals, 3 assists), Kaba (5 goals, 1 assist) and Ikwuemesi (4 goals). It will also be a reunion with Kyan Vaesen, our youth product who moved from ’t Kuipje to Den Dreef in January.

The first leg

Our home match on the tenth matchday ended in a 2–0 victory. Westerlo started sharply: Alcocer had a big early chance but hit the side netting. In the 19th minute, Ferri capitalized on a defensive mistake from Leuven and slotted the ball past a helpless Leysen to make it 1–0. Our Kemphanen dominated before halftime (34 duels won compared to 19). However, just before the break, Jungdal still had to make two saves out of nowhere from attempts by Terho.

After the break, Leuven improved. A shot from Maziz ended up in Jungdal’s hands. Westerlo responded soon after: Alcocer dribbled past his opponent and found himself one-on-one with Leysen, who managed to save. In the 77th minute, the second goal finally came. After a passing move involving six players, Reynolds delivered a cross to Mebude, who dribbled past the goalkeeper and finished into the empty net to make it 2–0.

Did you know…

• This will be the 29th meeting between the two teams. Westerlo have won 10 times, 7 matches ended in a draw, and OHL won 11.
• We are unbeaten in our last 7 matches against OH Leuven. The last defeat dates back to February 3, 2024, when OHL won 0–3 at ’t Kuipje.
• Several players have represented both clubs, such as Kenneth Schuermans (Westerlo: 2012–2017 | OHL: 2017–2021) and Evariste Ngolok (Westerlo: 2011–2012 | OHL: 2012–2014).
• Ten seasons ago (2015–2016) we suffered a heavy 5–1 defeat against OHL. However, Leuven were relegated that season, while Westerlo managed to secure survival on the final matchday.

Referees

Saturday’s referee will be Nathan Verboomen. He will be assisted by Mathias Hillaert and Maarten Toeback, while Tom Stevens will act as the fourth official. VAR duties will be handled by Simon Bourdeaud’hui.

Verboomen has officiated 13 Westerlo matches so far. Of those, we lost 6, drew 5 and won just 2. The last time he refereed one of our games was on the fifth matchday of Play-off 2 last season, when we won 2–3 away at KV Mechelen.