KV Mechelen vs RSC Anderlecht Match Review
A shocking defensive collapse from Anderlecht that saw them turn a 2–0 lead into a scrappy 2–2 draw in only 7 minutes shows us that while there’s some hope up front, there remains a mountain to climb in defense.
The first half of play was uninspired from both teams, the only real talking points being some lazy defending that led to a few nasty fouls with neither team ever really threatening the goal. The only real talking points from an Anderlecht perspective were the presence of Dimata (returning from a long injury) and the absence of Saelemaekers (sold in the transfer window). Dimata looked good, holding up possession, making himself available for passes and drawing fouls from the Mechelen defenders. That said, Dimata isn’t a playmaker — he shouldn’t have to be — and yet the decision not to include Verschaeren in the starting 11 forced the striker to drop back and try and pass out to the flanks to set himself up for crosses.
Whilst Murillo, Saelemakaers’ replacement at right back, had a mostly positive match, the absence of Saelemaekers was felt in the lack of organisation and energy from the defenders — best displayed in multiple, glaring passing errors from Luckassen and Sardella which led to two goals and could’ve given away 2 or 3 more.
At the beginning of the second half, Mechelen came out strong. They ran at a scattered Anderlecht centre back pair and only missed out on scoring due to some poor finishing. A few missed headers and a volley that sailed wide kept Mechelen on the front foot but failed to provide the goals they needed. Emerging star Aster Vranckx had a solid performance at RCM but was hindered by some dodgy tackling that landed him with a yellow card (and could’ve resulted in worse) alongside a relatively slow attack that couldn’t do much with his passes. His role in midfield led to him cutting back inside to play more centrally while the wingers and full backs played crosses in, a successful strategy for creating chances but not one that always gives the 17 year old prospect much opportunity to show his class.
Eventually Anderlecht began to claw their way back, capitalising on the pace provided down the wings by Amuzu and Doku and getting away with a few questionable tackles. Despite the momentum shift, it still wasn’t until the 65th minute that the game saw its first goal; a magnificent solo effort from Doku who caught the Malinois defense out with a sudden cut inside and a change of pace before driving the shot past a static keeper. It was a display of the flashes of brilliance the 18 year old can provide but also a stark show of the lack of support he’s provided up front (at multiple occasions in the match he found himself hemmed i by the corner post, completely unsupported by any nearby teammates leading to an unfortunate loss of possession).
The second goal came from a nice bit of buildup play, one which Doku once again impacted greatly, and ended in a low cross being tapped home by a sliding defender for an unlucky own goal.
At this point a result looked assured for les mauves but once again the ghosts of the last two disappointing campaigns came back to haunt them. The young squad showed the lack of cohesion and experience that should be, but isn’t, offset by the senior players in the squad. The work rate declined, the passing got more reckless and the defensive distribution woes led not only to two quickfire Mechelen goals (one header, one half volley; both from crosses that should never have been allowed to happen), but to a breakdown in organisation that will leave Mechelen feeling disappointed with only getting a single point from the fixture.
Despite some promising signs, it’s a day Anderlecht will want to forget. Mechelen will be pleased with the late result but will know they could’ve got more with a more clinical attacking force.
