© Well
One point. That is still the minimal difference between leader OH Leuven and pursuer Anderlecht in women’s football. The top game between the two teams ended 0-0. With six games to go until the play-offs, it is already clear that we are heading for a thriller. A sixth title in a row for the Purple & White or a very first time for Leuven?
Milan Augustine
In November, OHL went on to win 2-3 in Anderlecht. And so they were out for revenge at Purple & White. The home team, in turn, was out for the win, hoping to put the national champion on four points. After two minutes there was already a mega chance for OHL. Jill Janssens stormed at goalkeeper Justine Odeurs, but decided over. Anderlecht reacted after twenty minutes with a similar attack. Sarah Wijnants went alone to goalie Nicky Evrard, but he kept a clean sheet with an alert save.
Then again the people of Leuven. Janssens was able to aim at a cross from Estee Cattoor, but again aimed well over. Just before the break, the Purple & White came close to taking a corner kick in a messy phase, but it remained 0-0.
Chances were few and far between in the first half. It was all a bit thin, also because the two teams were well and compact. It was therefore not the most attractive topper. The pace was too slow.
“I spoke to Dave beforehand (Mattheus, Anderlecht’s coach, ed.)”, said OHL coach Jimmy Coenraets afterwards. “There are still sixteen games to play, so we agreed that it is not yet the time to throw all the cards on the table. It is not that we started for a draw, but the two teams clearly emphasized the organization.”
Disappointing topper
OHL slightly had the upper hand before the break, but that was different in the second half. Anderlecht took over, without this really leading to great danger. In the middle of the second half, the danger came from the team from Leuven, who came back into the game, but Marie Detruyer could not decide when she was well served from the right. Moments later she did get a shot, but decided to go wide. Neither team ultimately managed to score in a relatively disappointing top game. And so OHL still counts one point more than Anderlecht. And whether it will be exciting for the title.
“Just like in the first leg, which we won against a thief, it shows again how evenly matched we are”, says Coenraets. “This draw is proof that the title could be decided based on the games against other teams. It will come down to not dropping any points there.”
