Belgium First Division: Plenty on line in playoffs

Lokeren defeated Gent 1-0 in the Belgian First Division Playoff I on Saturday, and there were also wins for Kortrijk and Charleroi.

Belgian striker Nill De Pauw put Lokeren ahead with what proved to be the winning goal in the 66th minute at the Daknamstadion. Lokeren now have one win and one defeat from two matches played in the playoff to determine the league champion.

In Group A of Playoff II, Sint-Truiden drew 0-0 at home to Cercle Brugge.

The teams are level on two points from two playoff matches played, behind group leaders Mechelen.

The winner of the group will meet the top team in Group B with a Europa League qualification berth at stake.

In Group B, Kortrijk beat Germinal Beerschot 1-0 thanks to a 57th-minute strike from midfielder Mohamed Messoudi.

Kortrijk and Germinal Beerschot both have three points from two matches played.

Westerlo remain top and can take a three-point lead with a win over Zulte-Waregem on Sunday.

In Playoff III, Charleroi overcame AS Eupen 2-0 at home.

Goals from Israeli striker Dudu Biton and midfielder Alessandro Cordaro wrapped up the win for the hosts at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi.

Both sides now have one victory each in their five-match contest to avoid automatic relegation.

Sat 9 April, 2011

Belgium First Division: Plenty on line in playoffs

Lokeren defeated Gent 1-0 in the Belgian First Division Playoff I on Saturday, and there were also wins for Kortrijk and Charleroi.

Belgian striker Nill De Pauw put Lokeren ahead with what proved to be the winning goal in the 66th minute at the Daknamstadion. Lokeren now have one win and one defeat from two matches played in the playoff to determine the league champion.

In Group A of Playoff II, Sint-Truiden drew 0-0 at home to Cercle Brugge.

The teams are level on two points from two playoff matches played, behind group leaders Mechelen.

The winner of the group will meet the top team in Group B with a Europa League qualification berth at stake.

In Group B, Kortrijk beat Germinal Beerschot 1-0 thanks to a 57th-minute strike from midfielder Mohamed Messoudi.

Kortrijk and Germinal Beerschot both have three points from two matches played.

Westerlo remain top and can take a three-point lead with a win over Zulte-Waregem on Sunday.

In Playoff III, Charleroi overcame AS Eupen 2-0 at home.

Goals from Israeli striker Dudu Biton and midfielder Alessandro Cordaro wrapped up the win for the hosts at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi.

Both sides now have one victory each in their five-match contest to avoid automatic relegation.

Sat 9 April, 2011

Belgian First Division: Sint-Truiden 0 Mechelen 1

Mechelen snapped a mini-losing streak and consolidated fifth spot in the Belgian First Division with a 1-0 win at Sint-Truiden on Wednesday.

The visitors at Stayen went ahead in the 65th minute, when 20-year-old substitute Christian Benteke wasted no time in stamping his effect on the game by netting the winner for his side seconds after his arrival on the pitch.

It was the Belgium international forward’s fourth goal of his loan spell from league rivals Standard Liege.

The result broke a run of two losses for Mechelen in the league, and the three points moved them within two of fourth-placed Club Brugge.

The loss leaves Sint-Truiden in 13th spot on the league table and two points above the relegation zone.

Wed 23 February, 2011

Belgian First Division: Sint-Truiden 0 Mechelen 1

Mechelen snapped a mini-losing streak and consolidated fifth spot in the Belgian First Division with a 1-0 win at Sint-Truiden on Wednesday.

The visitors at Stayen went ahead in the 65th minute, when 20-year-old substitute Christian Benteke wasted no time in stamping his effect on the game by netting the winner for his side seconds after his arrival on the pitch.

It was the Belgium international forward’s fourth goal of his loan spell from league rivals Standard Liege.

The result broke a run of two losses for Mechelen in the league, and the three points moved them within two of fourth-placed Club Brugge.

The loss leaves Sint-Truiden in 13th spot on the league table and two points above the relegation zone.

Wed 23 February, 2011

Belgian First Division: Lierse 2 Mechelen 1

Lierse moved a step closer to escaping the Belgian First Division relegation zone with a 2-1 upset victory over Mechelen on Tuesday.

Both sides entered the clash in good form, with Mechelen sitting fifth and unbeaten in four matches while Lierse – despite lying second from bottom – had lost just one of their last four.

Daylon Claasen gave Trond Sollied’s side the perfect lift heading into half-time, with his injury-time goal handing Lierse the lead.

Bosnian Boris Pandza’s 64th-minute own goal gave Lierse a two-goal buffer but Marc Brys’ side clawed a goal back when Julien Gorius found the back of the net after 79 minutes.

But there was not enough time for Mechelen to find an equaliser as Lierse celebrated another victory – their third in five games.

Lierse are now only inside the bottom two on goal difference, with AS Eupen (level on points), Germinal Beerschot (one point) and Sint-Truiden (three points) all now within touching distance .

Wed 16 February, 2011

Belgian First Division: Lierse 2 Mechelen 1

Lierse moved a step closer to escaping the Belgian First Division relegation zone with a 2-1 upset victory over Mechelen on Tuesday.

Both sides entered the clash in good form, with Mechelen sitting fifth and unbeaten in four matches while Lierse – despite lying second from bottom – had lost just one of their last four.

Daylon Claasen gave Trond Sollied’s side the perfect lift heading into half-time, with his injury-time goal handing Lierse the lead.

Bosnian Boris Pandza’s 64th-minute own goal gave Lierse a two-goal buffer but Marc Brys’ side clawed a goal back when Julien Gorius found the back of the net after 79 minutes.

But there was not enough time for Mechelen to find an equaliser as Lierse celebrated another victory – their third in five games.

Lierse are now only inside the bottom two on goal difference, with AS Eupen (level on points), Germinal Beerschot (one point) and Sint-Truiden (three points) all now within touching distance .

Wed 16 February, 2011

Belgian First Division: Boussoufa fires Anderlecht

A Mbark Boussoufa-inspired Anderlecht hit Lierse for six in Sunday’s Belgian First Division action.

The Moroccan attacker was at his very best, scoring two and providing three more as Anderlecht thumped Lierse 6-0 and extended their lead atop the league to four points.

Boussoufa’s fourth-minute corner was headed home by Roland Juhasz to give the hosts an early lead, before the midfielder’s free-kick led to teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku’s goal.

Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima tipped the terrific set piece onto the post but the 17-year-old striker followed up and tapped in for his 10th goal of the season.

Poland defender Marcin Wasilewski added to the lead with a penalty on the hour-mark and 10 minutes later Boussoufa got on the scoresheet after he held off attention from Lierse’s Kurt van Dooren before firing past Kawashima.

Another Boussoufa free-kick led to the fifth goal, with Argentine striker Pablo Chavarria scoring with a far-post header before the man of the moment wrapped up the demolition job with his second goal and ninth of the season in injury time.

The result extended Anderlecht’s unbeaten run in the league to 10 matches and means Lierse remain second from bottom, with just one win from 21 matches.

Club Brugge moved to fourth with a 2-0 away win at Gent.

Fresh from two home defeats, the visitors came out firing and took a 24th-minute lead when Croatian Ivan Perisic scored his seventh goal of the season.

Just nine minutes later, they doubled the lead thanks to Dorge Rostand Kouemaha. Brugge held onto their two-goal advantage for the remainder of the game despite the second-half sending off of Nabil Dirar.

In the day’s other match, Reynaldo’s first-half goal gave Cercle Brugge a 1-0 win over 10-man Standard Liege, while four games were postponed due to inclement weather.

Mon 27 December, 2010

Belgian First Division: Boussoufa fires Anderlecht

A Mbark Boussoufa-inspired Anderlecht hit Lierse for six in Sunday’s Belgian First Division action.

The Moroccan attacker was at his very best, scoring two and providing three more as Anderlecht thumped Lierse 6-0 and extended their lead atop the league to four points.

Boussoufa’s fourth-minute corner was headed home by Roland Juhasz to give the hosts an early lead, before the midfielder’s free-kick led to teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku’s goal.

Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima tipped the terrific set piece onto the post but the 17-year-old striker followed up and tapped in for his 10th goal of the season.

Poland defender Marcin Wasilewski added to the lead with a penalty on the hour-mark and 10 minutes later Boussoufa got on the scoresheet after he held off attention from Lierse’s Kurt van Dooren before firing past Kawashima.

Another Boussoufa free-kick led to the fifth goal, with Argentine striker Pablo Chavarria scoring with a far-post header before the man of the moment wrapped up the demolition job with his second goal and ninth of the season in injury time.

The result extended Anderlecht’s unbeaten run in the league to 10 matches and means Lierse remain second from bottom, with just one win from 21 matches.

Club Brugge moved to fourth with a 2-0 away win at Gent.

Fresh from two home defeats, the visitors came out firing and took a 24th-minute lead when Croatian Ivan Perisic scored his seventh goal of the season.

Just nine minutes later, they doubled the lead thanks to Dorge Rostand Kouemaha. Brugge held onto their two-goal advantage for the remainder of the game despite the second-half sending off of Nabil Dirar.

In the day’s other match, Reynaldo’s first-half goal gave Cercle Brugge a 1-0 win over 10-man Standard Liege, while four games were postponed due to inclement weather.

Mon 27 December, 2010

Belgian First Division: Club Brugge 0 Anderlecht 2

Anderlecht moved back to the top of the Belgian First Division with a 2-0 away win at Club Brugge on Sunday.

The hosts were keen to impress their home fans after a mid-week home defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League, but crashed to their third league loss in five matches after conceding two second-half goals at Jan Breydel Stadium.

Anderlecht’s 17-year-old teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after 58 minutes, registering his ninth goal of the season in the process.

The game remained open until two minutes from time when Mbark Boussoufa wrapped up the three points and killed off any chance of a Brugge comeback.

Anderlecht’s win moved them to 44 points atop the league standings, one point clear of second-place Genk.

Sunday’s other fixture between Gent and Germinal Beerschot at the Olympisch Stadion was suspended after 10 minutes because of heavy snowfall.

Sun 19 December, 2010