Leader Union keeps the points at home against Standard and is already in third place at 20 (!) points

Leader Union keeps the points at home against Standard and is already in third place at 20 (!) points

Competition leader Union did what it had to do against Standard: win. Thanks to goals from Nilsson – from the spot – and Eckert, the people of Brussels already led 2-0 at half time, but the Rouches did not get any further than a tying goal from Djenepo in the second half (2-1).

After the European stunt victory in Frankfurt, Union had to work hard again in the competition, this time against Standard. The difference between the two teams could hardly be greater: while Union is still fighting on three fronts, Standard’s biggest goal this season is to avoid the play-downs. And for that it is best to grab some points as quickly as possible.

Every point against Union on Sunday evening was a point won for De Rouches. Last year, Standard surprisingly won in the Dudenpark with 2-4, a stunt that was worth repeating for De Rouches. Leko was certainly fortunate that Blessin rotated somewhat: Amoura, Machida and Rasmussen remained on the bench, Eckert, Sykes and Vanhoutte – suspended in Frankfurt – came into the team.

But in order to embarrass the proud competition leader, it is of course important to finish the few chances you have. And that’s where the problem happened again for Standard. On the half hour, De Rouches had two great chances to open the scoring: first, Yeboah aimed face to face with Moris on the post, and in the restart, o’Neill shot a second great chance at Bodart. This should always have been the 0-1.

And something like that will cost dearly against Union, as they now also know in Liège. Barely a minute after the missed opportunities, Eckert went down in the box after a tackle by Vanheusden, and Laforge whistled for a penalty after watching the images. Nilsson did not fail and sent Moris the wrong way: 1-0. Newcomer Yeboah shouted out his frustrations, as he signaled for Bodart to dive to the other corner.

In any case, the 1-0 was a big blow for Standard, which had a dramatic final quarter of the first half. First it even became 2-0 after a fantastic collective attack from Union completed by Eckert, and at the absolute end of the second half Zinho Vanheusden had to be carried off the field injured on a stretcher. The 24-year-old defender landed badly after an aerial duel and fought back tears as he left the field on a stretcher. The Dudenpark already supported him with a standing ovation.

Photo: BELGIAN

Connection goal Djenepo

Union seemed to be on its way to an easy victory, but Standard did not simply give up in the second half. Barely five minutes into the second act, a falling ball fell at the feet of substitute Djenepo, and the Malian shot neatly into the net. It is only the first goal for Djenepo since his return to Standard.

Even afterwards, Standard was certainly not outplayed by Union. We got to see an even match, although the chances were few and far between. Blessin did not trust the narrow lead and decided on the hour to throw in his speed devil Amoura.

Leader Union keeps the points at home against Standard and is already in third place at 20 (!) points

Foto: Isosport

But the Algerian was also unable to turn the match into a decisive one. What followed was a nervous end to the match, in which Standard increasingly demanded the ball and looked for holes in the Brussels defense.

Despite the good intentions of the Rouches, we did not see any real opportunities from the visitors. The Brussels defense was well positioned and defended alertly, making it difficult for Ivan Leko’s troops to create any real danger. On the other side, Teklab, Amoura and Kabangu came close to scoring, but Bodart stood firm.

Thanks to the victory, Union maintains its eight-point lead over first pursuer Anderlecht, while Club Brugge now follows at 20 points. Standard remains stuck at 28 points, three points above the play-downs. It promises to be another nervous three days for De Rouches.

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