This Anderlecht perfectly illustrates the ketchup bottle theory. Once it’s flowing, it’s hard to stop it. Everything is going in the direction of the RSCA. Let’s start with the most negative aspect: the refereeing. Would Coosemans have deserved to be sanctioned for his shirt pulling on Dean? Yes. Did Torunarigha deserve his second yellow? No, he plays the ball. Problem: the Var cannot intervene in this type of situation. The Buffalos also complained of one-sided arbitration. “We were held back by the refereeing,” said Surdez at the break.
Success is measured in front of the goal. Where Delorge clashes with Coosemans, Rits plays pinball with Ito and Watanabe’s backs to fool Roef. Without the deviations, Anderlecht never opened the score after around twenty minutes and without a big opportunity before this one.
Summarizing Anderlecht to luck would be simplistic. Something is happening on this team. We were able to witness some ball releases which had disappeared a few months ago. The Mauves play in one beat, quickly and on the ground. The 2-0 is a hint of a return to the style of the house. From Sardella’s race to Dolberg’s assist for Edozie.
No wonder the stadium was literally on fire for his team. The two kops brought out the torches and fireworks at the start of the match. To mark the occasion as to the announced return of a sacred union between the stands and the field. The bond had tended to crumble with the decline in spectacle on the field. The match ended with “olé” at each touch of the ball. The people of Ghent were exasperated to see the Mauves playing ball to assert their domination.
To return to the ketchup bottle theory, no one illustrates it better than Dolberg. A goal under Riemer. Two more under Hubert. His 12th and 13th already since the change of coach. We also gave it to a colleague before his free kick: he shines on the pitch and exudes self-confidence. Everything he touches turns into a goal. His new status is not stolen. Thanks to his double (a volley at the end of the match), he will carry the golden bull for top scorer in the Pro League against OHL.
The half-match, in numerical superiority, is anecdotal. Samoise had the good idea to liven up the end of the match with a damaging gesture which earned him a direct red. Araujo, against his camp, and Amuzu made this match a correction. In the minds of the Mauves the real match was already over at the hour mark. David Hubert quickly turned things around. The match against Porto was already in the back of his mind. The dress rehearsal before the gala match is successful.
