December becomes month of truth

GAMES With second place, often nice soccer and many smooth victories, many Anderlecht supporters sometimes dare to secretly dream about the title. How justified these dreams are, we will be able to better assess at the end of December. Purple and white scores especially well against smaller teams. This month, tougher teams await.


We used to talk about the G5 in our soccer. That was Anderlecht, Standard, Club Brugge, AA Gent and Racing Genk. In recent years, Antwerp and Union have been added as "big clubs. 

Anderlecht played like six matches against 'big clubs' this season. In those, the purple and white scored 6 out of 18. They only won against Antwerp (1-0). They drew 1-1 against Genk, Club Brugge and Ghent. They lost against Union (2-0) and Standard (3-2).  

Against the 'smaller clubs' Anderlecht did much better. In ten games (Westerlo already twice as first game of the return round) Anderlecht scored 28 out of 30. Only against Kortrijk (2-2) did purple-white lose points. 

Success formula

Taking everything against the 'small teams' and barely giving the opponent the three points in the top games. It is a recipe that can lead to the national title. Although Union is currently doing the same. They, too, are barely losing against the 'little guys' (27 out of 30). Against the 'big ones' (11 out of 18) they do better than Anderlecht.

What should give the citizen confidence against is that Anderlecht was never played away in the top matches. Except on the first match day against Union, but you can't compare the team then with the team afterwards. Both against Genk (equalizer in 97th minute), Club Brugge (early injuries of Delaney and Dolberg) and Standard (the reason you well know) Anderlecht could have easily been won.

Moreover, Anderlecht already played four of the six toppers this season on the road. In the return round, purple-white will have to visit Antwerp and Club Brugge, but Standard, Ghent, Genk and Union will receive Anderlecht in the Lotto Park. The Lotto Park, where Anderlecht already took 19 out of 21 this season. Only against Club Brugge did it lose points at home.

Top month of December

And so we return to the start of this article, namely that December will be a 'month of truth'. Anderlecht will play five matches this month. Four of them are against 'big teams'. The fifth is against Cercle, currently the best of the 'small teams' and fighting for Play-Off 1.

Now on Thursday, Anderlecht receives Standard for the Belgian Cup. Barely three days later, next Sunday, Standard will again be guests at the Lotto Park. For the league then. After that, there will be games against Antwerp (away, December 17), Genk (at home, December 23) and Cercle Bruges (at home, December 27).

At the end of December we will know whether we can really dream of the national title this season.

Source: © Internal source