Cercle closes Europe Play-Offs with victory

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Cercle closes Europe Play-Offs with victory

There was not much at stake for the home team, but it definitely wanted to give a good season what it deserved: a last victory. The Association got off to an excellent start and immediately turned it into a pleasant match. After ten minutes it almost comes to scoring, but both Van der Bruggen and Popovic do not shake the nets.

The visitors don’t really have a reaction, and only after 27 minutes Westerlo causes excitement for the first time at Cercle goalkeeper Majecki’s goal. Jordanov beats Thibo Somers in a sprint duel – who played his 100th match for Groen-Zwart against Westerlo and was voted Cercle player of the year – but his shot goes wide. Circle responds immediately. After half an hour, Gillekens – who replaces Bolat in goal at the Kemphanen – has a fantastic save on a header from Denkey.

Just before the break, the light goes out at the same Gillekens for a while. The goalkeeper completely miscalculates, but on a cross from Gboho, Denkey fails to score. We rest with a spectacle score after a lot of chances and an open game.

Scored goals in the second half

The second half starts like the first: with a chance for Cercle. The Japanese Ayase Ueda can get into the sixteen, but Gillekens insists on his attempt. No 24th goal of the season for Ueda. With 23 goals, he is also the Cercle player who could score most often in one season in this century.

After more than an hour, fresh blood comes between the lines. Cercle brings three new forces, Westerlo two. And those substitutions bring some life to the game again. Substitute Van Eenoo almost gives the home team the lead 20 minutes before the end, but Majecki is alert. Van Eenoo does score five minutes, but in the wrong goal. The former player of Cercle unfortunately headed the ball into his own goal after a free kick, 1-0 for Cercle.

Cercle is not satisfied with the minimal lead and pushes the accelerator again in the end. Five minutes after the opening goal, the ball hit the spot for the Association after an error by Westerlo defender Perdichizzi. But after an intervention by the VAR – which rules that the error was made outside the box – the decision is revised. Cercle does not let it get to his heart and continues to look for the double lead.

That 2-0 also comes on a counterattack. Yann Gboho redeems a long-drawn-out counter and thus signs for the last goal of the season on Jan Breydel. 2-0 and Cercle closes the season as number 6, eight points behind KAA Gent. Remarkable: With its 36 points, Cercle has three points more than big brother Club Brugge, which takes part in Play-Off I. If Club does not beat Union this evening, Cercle will therefore close the season with more points than Club.



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