Anderlecht vs Club Brugge
BRUSSELS (Interstat) — Mihajlo Cvetković’s late goal capped a three-goal rally Sunday as Club Brugge defeated Anderlecht 3-1 in a First Division A match at Lotto Park.
Cvetković, a forward, scored in the 83rd minute to seal the victory after substitute Carlos Forbs and substitute Christos Tzolis had struck in the second half. Defender Mathys Angély opened the scoring in the eighth minute for Anderlecht, but his goal proved to be the home side’s only tally.
Club Brugge improved its league record to 19 wins, eight losses and three draws, while Anderlecht fell to 14 wins, 12 losses and five draws. Across all competitions this season, Club Brugge stands at 19-8-3 and Anderlecht at 16-14-7.
The match began with Anderlecht seizing an early lead. Angély, a defender, found the net in the eighth minute, giving the home fans hope. But Club Brugge responded after halftime.
Forbs, a substitute, equalized in the 59th minute. Two minutes later, Tzolis, also a substitute, put the visitors ahead with a goal in the 61st minute. Cvetković then added insurance in the 83rd minute to complete the scoring.
Defender Marco Kana and substitute Cisse Sandra each recorded an assist. Midfielder Nathan De Cat also assisted on one of the goals.
The match featured four yellow cards. Hugo Vetlesen was cautioned in the 13th minute, De Cat in the 67th, Kana in third-minute stoppage time and Sandra in fifth-minute stoppage time.
Club Brugge entered the match on a strong run after a 2-0 win at Gent on April 26 and a 6-1 home victory over Mechelen on April 22. The team’s only loss in its previous five matches came April 19 at Union St-Gilloise, 2-1. In the most recent head-to-head meeting before Sunday, Anderlecht lost 4-2 at Club Brugge on April 6, and the teams had drawn 2-2 on March 8.
Anderlecht had lost its previous two matches: 3-1 at home to Union St-Gilloise on April 26 and 2-0 at Sint-Truiden on April 23. The team’s last win before Sunday was a 3-1 victory over Gent on April 12.
Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Anderlecht 2, Club Brugge 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Anderlecht a 53.00 percent probability to win.