In a moderate first half there were opportunities on both sides. For Cercle Brugge, Alan Minda caused the most danger, but the Ecuadorian was unhappy in the finish. On the other side, Dender striker Aurélien Scheidler tested the reflexes of Maxime Delanghe with a sturdy volley. Shortly before the break, Roman Kvet still hit the bar, but there was no scoring.
After the break, Cercle took the initiative, but a real threat was not forthcoming. The bustling Nezinho and debutant Pieter Gerkens tried to turn the tide without success. Eight minutes before the whistling, Dender came close to the opening goal: Scheidler could not work a pass from substitute Benjamin Fredrick past Delanghe. It finally remained 0-0.