With the number 8 side in the Pro League taking on the number 6, the Jan Breydel Stadium had a big match in store on Saturday afternoon. After the win against KAA Gent last week, Cercle Brugge were only two points behind Standard de Liège. Miron Muslic changed his starting eleven in just one position, as Goalkeeper Majecki was fit again and took his familiar place between the posts. Among the outfield players, ten trusted names also took the pitch.
The visitors took the initiative in the opening phases. However, their play did not yield many chances. For a long time, the Groen-Zwart were unable to connect sufficiently with their attackers. It was not until halfway through the first half that Cercle were able to create a threat through a header by Ueda. Shortly afterwards, Siquet found the unmarked Deman at the back post, but the Belgian youth international was just short of getting his header on target. Standard also woke up and made their presence known: a shot from Ohio found the side netting and a little later Majecki did well to deny the same bustling Ohio. With the break in sight, Cercle found a little more space and shortly before half-time it would almost take advantage of this: a good intervention from Bokadi was needed on a shot from Denkey. Halfway through the match, there was no score for either side.
The second act was a bit like the first half. There were many duels, a tight pitch and few open spaces. After fifteen minutes Cercle seemed to take the upper hand. Denkey, full of running but not always connecting with his teammates, hit the side netting. But it would be Standard who put the ball in the goal for the first time. Canak picked out Perica with a low cross, but the goal was disallowed after a few minutes of consultation with VAR. The last ten minutes came and the moment of truth arrived as well. Standard got forward on the counter through Zinckernagel. After receiving the ball, the Dane shot from close range, but Daland cleared it. Again the VAR was consulted, but this time it was the away team that would benefit.
Zinckernagel took the penalty himself and converted from eleven meters: 0-1 was a difficult scoreline to digest. Not that the Groen-Zwart deserved much more, but this cruel opening goal seemed to come out of the blue. At this moment, there was nothing left to lose for the Association: Muslic brought on Marcelin and Kehrer, among others, in response. And it would pay off: just after the board showed six added minutes, Ueda managed to turn a ball over the top into the top corner on the turn: 1-1. For the second week in a row, the Jan Breydel Stadium exploded in added time. Both teams would be satisfied with a point, something that was also confirmed by both managers in their press conferences.
Cercle: Majecki, Popovic, Ravych (Hotic 82'), Daland, Vanhoutte (Marcelin 87'), Francis (Van Der Bruggen 82'), Siquet, Deman, Somers (Kehrer 75'), Ueda and Denkey.
Standard: Bodart, Dussenne, Ohio (Perica 59'), Donnum, Fossey, Alzate, Bokadi, Melegoni (Canak 46'), Balikwisha (Cimirot 59'), Laifis and Zinckernagel.
Goals: Zinckernagel 81' (0-1, penalty), Ayase Ueda 90+1' (1-1)
