Completing their first practice session to prepare for the new season, Sporting Anderlecht’s first team headed for Ternat, where they took on the local third-division team on the occasion of the opening of their new stand.

From kickoff on, RSCA took the initiative and were soon able to create their first scoring opportunity, a corner by Legear reached Kanu, who hit the crossbar. The rebound by Suarez, who had followed well, was averted by a local defender. After some twenty minutes of play, Sare, from the right wing, fed the ball to Kanu, who scored an offside goal, which was disallowed. A few minutes later on, however, Sare provided a perfect one-two with Suarez on the left wing before passing to Legear, who immediately scored the first goal of the evening. Somewhat later on, the native of Liège even doubled the score, after having been isolated by Kljestan with a smart pass. Just before half-time, the local goalie nicely saved a header by Biglia, who had received the ball from Legear. During injury time, Marecek fed the ball to Legear at the near post, but his shot went long.

After half-time, Anderlecht came out of the changing room with a completely new team and it showed. The second half had only just started or substitute Chatelle, from the right wing, fed the ball to Lukaku, also a substitute, and the third Anderlecht goal of the evening went in. Two minutes after the third goal, Losada passed through the local defence, but his shot went long. Anderlecht kept on going and were rewarded by way of a fourth goal, Chatelle appeared in front of the goalkeeper and did not miss his chance. Just before the sixtieth minute of play, youngster Badibanga, from the left wing, combined an action with Chatelle and provided Anderlecht with a 5-0 lead.

The home team showed themselves for the first time after more than an hour’s worth of play and they immediately created a scoring opportunity, as one of the local strikers took advantage of a misunderstanding between Schollen and Deschacht, but the ball was saved on the line. The home team really went looking for a consolation goal and managed to score it a few minutes later on. Du Rang, with a header, scored for the home team. Two minutes later on, Schollen had to avert a free kick by Buelinckx. Fifteen minutes before the final whistle, Lukaku reached Losada with a sideward pass, the Argentinian did not miss his chance and scored the sixth Anderlecht goal of the evening. Some ten minutes before the end of the match, Badibanga reached Lukaku from the left wing, but his shot went long. Three minutes later on, Badibanga pushed trough on the left wing again, outsmarted the local defender and passed the ball on to Lukaku, who put the 1-7 final score on the board. The match, then, ended in a clear victory for Sporting Anderlecht, which stately completed the practice session in the Dutch Tegelen.

Text : Fabien Dupont