SINT-TRUIDEN, Belgium (Interstat) — St. Truiden scored once in each half and defeated Iberia 1999 2-0 on Thursday in a global football match, using an early goal from Robert Jan Vanwesemael and a late goal from Ilias Sebaoui to secure the home result. St. Truiden led from the 11th minute and added insurance in the 88th, while Iberia 1999 could not produce a goal despite late substitutions. The home side managed the game with a narrow but firm advantage, and the visiting side’s attempts to rally did not change the scoreline. The clean sheet gave St. Truiden a shutout in the competition and left Iberia 1999 still searching for its first goal in the tournament.

Vanwesemael opened the scoring in the 11th minute, giving St. Truiden the lead with the first goal of the match. He was credited with 90 minutes and one goal. St. Truiden’s early pressure produced the breakthrough, and the home team defended its advantage through much of the first half. In the 36th minute, St. Truiden’s N. Ishiwatari was shown a yellow card.

Sebaoui doubled the advantage in the 88th minute, scoring St. Truiden’s second goal of the night. He was listed with 90 minutes and one goal. The late strike gave the home side a two-goal cushion and left Iberia 1999 with too little time to respond. Sebaoui was replaced in the 90+2nd minute after his goal.

Samed Bazdar of St. Truiden recorded an assist while playing 79 minutes, and Frederic Soelle recorded an assist in 11 minutes. Bazdar was substituted in the 79th minute. Soelle’s contribution came during his limited time on the field and helped set up St. Truiden’s late goal. N. Mbuku was substituted for St. Truiden in the 84th minute.

Iberia 1999 made substitutions in the 71st minute involving Natchkebia Z. and Lucas Cafe. The visiting side also changed players in the 79th minute with Dzagania A., and in the 84th minute with Cancar P. and Dadiani N. Those moves were designed to spark a comeback, but St. Truiden’s defense held firm and preserved the shutout. The match ended without Iberia 1999 finding a goal. Iberia 1999 used five substitutions in all, while St. Truiden made three.

The result gave St. Truiden a 1-0 record in the competition and dropped Iberia 1999 to 0-1. Across all competitions, St. Truiden moved to 3 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws, while Iberia 1999 sits at 2 wins and 2 losses. St. Truiden’s home victory continued its strongest recent run in the competition, while Iberia 1999 remained without a win in this tournament.

Iberia 1999 had won two of its previous three matches, beating Meshakhte Tkibuli 2-1 and Rustavi 2-0 while losing 2-1 to Dinamo Tbilisi. St. Truiden had won two of its previous eight, beating RAAL 4-0 and Antwerp FC 4-1, drawing with Cercle Brugge and Lommel SK, and losing to KV Mechelen, Westerlo, W-Beveren and Union SG. The home side’s recent form included a 4-3 loss at KV Mechelen before this match.

St. Truiden’s schedule ahead includes matches against Club Brugge, OH Leuven, Zulte-Waregem, RSC Charleroi, Genk, KAA Gent, Kortrijk, Anderlecht, Standard and OH Leuven again. The club will return to league play after this result, with the next stretch set to test its depth. Iberia 1999 will look to rebound after a road loss in which it failed to score.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of St. Truiden 2, Iberia 1999 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected St. Truiden with a 91.9 percent probability to win. St. Truiden had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -2. The over/under line was 3.5, with a total score of 2.