La Gantoise - Anderlecht: the prelude to the match

Royal Union Saint-Gilloise staged a dramatic comeback against Cercle Brugge on Sunday evening at the Parc Duden, overturning a two-goal deficit to win 5-2. The victory lifts the Brussels side back onto the Belgian Pro League podium. This triumph came just three days after Union secured a 4-0 victory over Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Europa League, a match played behind closed doors in Dusseldorf due to security concerns. The match began poorly for the home team. At halftime, Union trailed 2-0 despite dominating possession. The first goal arrived in the 22nd minute when referee Wesli De Cremer awarded a penalty after Nohim Chibani fouled Steve Ngoura inside the box. Ngoura converted the spot kick himself. In the 48th minute, Dante Vanzeir delivered a cross that found Massire Sylla, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net. Sylla, a former Union striker playing for Cercle, declined to celebrate out of respect for his old fans. His stay in the game ended shortly thereafter, as he was sent off in the 64th minute for a dangerous tackle on Denzel De Roove. Union’s response was immediate and fierce. Raul Florucz scored immediately after the break, marking his ninth goal of the season across all competitions and cementing his status as the club’s top scorer. Sylla redeemed himself in the 62nd minute with his first goal for Union, fulfilling a personal desire to improve his offensive record. He further assisted the equalizer in the 75th minute when his header forced an own goal by Emmanuel Kakou. Relebohile Mofokeng and Kevin Rodriguez added late goals to seal the 5-2 result. Manager David Hubert acknowledged the difficult start, stating that while his team was dominant, they did not deserve to trail at the break. He noted the squad emerged from the dressing room with good intentions before quickly falling behind again, followed by forty fantastic minutes of quality and resilience. Hubert highlighted the cohesion within the group and the support from fans, whose presence was missed during the European fixture in Germany. Personnel updates accompanied the result. Adem Zorgan returned to the pitch in the 81st minute following an injury sustained during the recent international break. More significantly, Ross Sykes made his return in the 89th minute after a long absence caused by shoulder surgery performed last August. Sylla received the man of the match award, presented by teammate Besfort Zeneli, who felt he did not merit the honor himself. In other Pro League action, KAA Gent hosts Anderlecht this Sunday at the Planet Group Arena. Gent enters the match unbeaten in the league, holding 22 points from 24 possible. However, the Buffalos have recently suffered setbacks, including a Belgian Cup elimination at Rochefort and a 2-0 defeat to Braga in the Conference League. Anderlecht arrives boosted by a 3-0 away victory against Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland. The visitors aim to confirm their European form domestically. Enric Llansana returns to the starting lineup for the Mauves, joining a defense featuring Coosemans, Barry, Biancone, Petrot, Reabciuk, and Stroeykens. Midfielders Winkler, Aasgaard, and Degreef will support forward Cvetkovic. The current league standings feature a tight race at the top. Gent, Club Brugge, and Union are emerging as a distinct trio competing for the title. While Gent leads with their undefeated record, Union’s resurgence and Brugge’s consistent performance keep the championship battle intense. Fans await the outcome of the Gent versus Anderlecht clash to see if the Buffalos can maintain their perfect domestic campaign or if the pressure of recent defeats will finally catch up with them. The atmosphere in Ghent promises to be charged as both teams seek momentum heading into the winter break.