How the pitch prevented Charleroi from producing their game against Cercle: “I have never seen the pitch like that since I have been here”

But the conditions favored Cercle, fans of a direct game where long balls are king. “The terrain was a big problemreacts De Mil. We couldn’t play the combination football we want to play.”

“It’s true that it handicapped us,” abounds Mbenza. Everything started so well for the Zebras. Despite the state of the pitch, they quickly opened the scoring with a perfectly calibrated cross by the winger for Guiagon (1-0, 12th). Nine minutes later, Mbenza thought he had transformed from passer into scorer but his goal was canceled for being offside by a few centimeters. “Ten years ago, I think there would have been a goal but the VAR did its job well and if it goes the other way next week, we will be happy.”he admits, a good player, still very active.

This was the turning point of the match. Bruges quickly equalized through Somers (35th, 1-1). Like a bad habit. In 2025, Sporting opened the scoring in each of its matches without ever ending up winning the match. And this Saturday, Zorgan’s partners could have once again lost everything, like against the Union, when Keita collected a second stupid warning synonymous with exclusion as the last quarter of an hour approached. “A few months ago, we would have lost these kinds of matches. Now, we are moving forward even if we would have liked to have had three points”concludes Mbenza when Heymans estimates “that we will have to win the next two matches.”

Facing Dender at Mambourg then at Beerschot. Just to be able to spice up the end of his classic phase and put himself back in the race for the top 6 as the final sprint approaches.