KVC Westerlo – RSC Anderlecht

In the early years of our Kemphanen in the top division, Anderlecht always came to the Kuipje with trembling knees. The Mauve and Whites were unable to win five matches in a row and even suffered resounding defeats. From the millennium onwards, it became a little more difficult: in 23 encounters, we won six times and drew five times, which is not bad against one of the best clubs in Belgium.

Last season

We won 2-0 on match day 29, after a header in the 2nd minute by Matija Frigan and a long-distance kick by captain Dogucan Haspolat, which goalkeeper Coosemans misjudged because the sun was shining in his eyes. That victory ensured our participation in the European Play-Offs.

Current season

Anderlecht had to battle hard for 125 minutes against Genk on Thursday in the Belgian Cup (1-3 victory).  They are currently third in the league, five points behind leaders Union, whom they beat 1-0 at home last week. In 16 matches, they have lost only three times: at home against Zulte (2-3) and away at Union (2-0) and Charleroi (1-0). They won their last three league matches by the smallest of margins, at home against Club Brugge and Union and at La Louvière. It is clear that they are the team ‘in form’.

Mutual transfers

The older generation of supporters will still recognise the following names: Lukas Zelenka, Yasin Karaca, Ode Thompson, Martin Kolar, Oleksandr Yakovenko, Arnaud De Greef, Reynaldo, Nathan Kabasele, Michael Cordier, Mohamed Aoulad, Hervé Matthys and Michaël Heylen: all of them made the switch from Anderlecht to the Kempen between 1999 and 2017. Lucas Stassin and Amando Lapage did so recently, and there has only ever been one transfer from Westerlo to Anderlecht: Silvere Ganvoula on 31 July 2017. Six months later, he made the move to the Kuipje on loan.

Squads

Everyone is training at Westerlo, with only Tuur Rommens and Seiji Kimura still unavailable.

The Anderlecht team that  secured a place in the quarter-finals of the BVB on Thursday consisted of: Coosemans, Camara, Sardella, Hey, Augustinsson, De Cat, Saliba, Bertaccini, Hazard, Angulo and Cvetkovic. N’Diaye, Llansana, Verschaeren, Stroeykens and Kanaté were used as game changers. Thorgan Hazard and Ludwig Augustinsson will not be playing in this team, the former  is suspended and the latter has a calf injury.

Referee

Lawrence Visser will referee the match. His track record this season includes four European matches and twelve matches in the Jupiler Pro League. He has refereed Anderlecht twice away from home: in Dender (0-2) and Charleroi (1-0), and he was in action for our Kemphanen in the spectacular 5-5 draw at Club Brugge.

This is the ninth time we have welcomed him to the Kuipje: two victories against OHL (3-2) and Beveren (1-0), two draws against Genk (0-0) and (1-1) and four defeats: Oostende (1-2), Eupen (0-1), Cercle Brugge (3-5) and STVV (1-2).