BRUSSELS (Interstat) — Anderlecht delivered a commanding performance Saturday, overwhelming Sporting Oud-Heverlee 5-1 at Lotto Park in a Belgian First Division A match that defied pregame projections.

The victory, fueled by three first-half goals, provided a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting, a 1-1 draw on Sept. 26, 2025, and easily surpassed the 1-1 scoreline predicted by Interstat’s game simulator. The statistical service did give Anderlecht a 93.8% probability to win.

The home side needed only seven minutes to take the lead, with Óscar Gil opening the scoring. The advantage doubled in the 29th minute through a goal from Ewoud Pletinckx. Thorgan Hazard then seemingly put the game out of reach just before halftime, making it 3-0 in the 47th minute.

Any thought of a second-half reprieve for the visitors was quickly extinguished. Mihajlo Cvetković, noted as a key performer, scored Anderlecht’s fourth goal just five minutes after the restart in the 52nd minute. Sporting Oud-Heverlee found a consolation goal from Adriano Bertaccini deep into second-half stoppage time, but Anderlecht had the final say, restoring its four-goal margin moments later to seal the 5-1 result.

The match was a physical affair, with eight yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Sporting Oud-Heverlee’s Thibaud Verlinden received the first booking in the 35th minute. Anderlecht’s Davis Opoku, who came on as a substitute and recorded an assist, was cautioned in the 46th minute. Subsequent yellow cards were given to Ludwig Augustinsson and Mihajlo Ilić of Anderlecht, both of whom were credited with assists, and to Sporting Oud-Heverlee’s Birger Verstraete, Moussa Diarra, Noë Dussenne and Tristan Degreef.

The result solidifies Anderlecht’s mid-table position, improving its league record to 12 wins, eight losses and six draws. Its record across all competitions now stands at 14 wins, 10 losses and eight draws. For Sporting Oud-Heverlee, the heavy defeat halts a modest positive run that included wins over Gent and Dender in its last two outings. Its league record falls to seven wins, 10 losses and seven draws.

Anderlecht will face a quick turnaround, hosting Club Brugge in league play on Sunday. Sporting Oud-Heverlee’s next fixture is at home against Westerlo on March 7.