Genk 21 games unbeaten at home in PO1
Even if it took a contested penalty for Genk to win at the wire, Anderlecht's defeat can be partly explained by the five-star performance of the Limburgers. El Khannouss, Aït El Hadj, El Ouahdi, Galarza and Tolu Arokodare reached Champions League level for an hour. In the first half, the Limburgers were not two, but five times above Anderlecht. Genk are formidable at home, as demonstrated by this crazy stat: the last team to beat Genk at home in playoffs 1 was Ghent in… 2016. Since then, Genk is 21 games undefeated: 14 wins and 7 draws.
Anderlecht owes everything to its public
If Anderlecht is still at the top of the rankings, it is thanks to its public, who pushed their team to victory against Antwerp and Union. Mario Stroeykens: “It's not an excuse, but it's true that the supporters make the difference at the moment. At home, when we recover a ball, there are more than 20,000 of them pushing us forward. Here, it was Genk who made the most of their supporters.” For once, Brian Riemer was succinct in his explanation: “All teams in Europe struggle more away than at home.” In the classic phase, however, the difference was not so huge: 36 out of 45 at home, 27 out of 45 away.
“Two defeats, not the end of the world”
Anderlecht would not be the first champion to have lost twice during the playoffs. “This is not the end of the world”, estimated Kasper Schmeichel. “The others will also still lose points”, added Leoni. In 2012-2013, Sporting even won the title after losing three times in the last ten matches! Club Bruges won the title in 2018 despite four defeats in the playoffs. If Anderlecht continues this momentum – only victories at home, only defeats away – it would obtain a 15 out of 30. In the same 2012-2013 season – that of Biglia's deflected penalty against Zulte Waregem – a 15 out of 30 had been enough, but only just. Schmeichel: “Everything will be decided on the last day. Your playoff system is exciting.”
Riemer – Musical: 7-0 in 3 matches
Another statement from Schmeichel: “The key is to recover as quickly as possible from such a backlash. The experience of veterans like Jan and me can make the difference.” In other words: a 6 out of 6 against Cercle is essential. Fortunately for Anderlecht, “little Bruges” is a suitable opponent for Sporting Riemer. The score between Riemer and Muslic, after the three matches in 2023, is 7-0 for the Dane: 2-0, 0-3 and 2-0. Will Cercle, the revelation of these playoffs, help Sporting get back on track towards its 35th title?
