KV Mechelen has not been able to consolidate its place in the top five. On the low-flying field, the Besnik Hasi team brought far too little and logically lost (3-1) after goals from De Neve and twice Ferri, who gave KV Kortrijk – and their coach Alexandersson – some breathing space.
“Government outside”, “Screw the policy” and “Freyr out”: the banners of the Kortrijk supporters beforehand were clear. The weeks of truth are coming for Freyr Alexandersson and KV Kortrijk. The Icelandic coach is starting to come under pressure and therefore made significant changes to his team – which lost three times in a row – for the arrival of KV Mechelen. He returned to a three-man defense for the first time since matchday 9 and put strongmen Kaneko and Sissako on the bench. Among the visitors, Besnik Hasi could not count on Zinho Vanheusden, who is again suffering from his hernia. Without him, the Mechelen team looked for a provisional third place in the standings.
The Chamber of Commerce board and coach Alexandersson had to pay the price for the party.
Photo: BELGIAN
De Neve from nowhere
The best chances were for the visitors in the initial phase. First Pflücke did not accept a gift from Fujii and kicked just wide, then a ball from Ouattara seemed to go over the Kortrijk goal line. However, Nathan Verboomen was called to the VAR screen, because KVK goalkeeper Vandenberghe was knocked down in his own small rectangle by Lauberbach, so we – quite rightly – did not get a goal. Until then, Kortrijk had put up little objection.
But when Dion De Neve suddenly got a ball in the box, he pushed the 1-0 past De Wolf. The Golden Spurs Stadium exploded and the Guys took courage from it. Goalscorer De Neve served Messaoudi, but the Algerian saw his attempt end up on the wrong side of the post. Mechelen was upset again and didn’t play any more football before the break. Until Silva kicked the ball wide and Lauerbach was able to lash out: the German chased the ball too wildly into the side netting. We seemed to be going to rest at 1-0, until Ferri cleverly beat Marsa in injury time and did not hesitate face to face with De Wolf: 2-0 for KV Kortrijk after 48 minutes of football. Freyr Alexandersson liked to see it happen on the sidelines, Besnik Hasi less so.
Besnik Hasi saw his team go to rest with a double deficit in Kortrijk.
Photo: BELGIAN
The Mechelen T1 intervened and brought both Belghali and Hairemans between the lines at the start of the second half. However, the duo could not make the difference. KV Mechelen never reached the level it should have reached in the Guldenspoorstadion, not even after the break. Only when Takamine stupidly lost the ball did Tom Vandenberghe have to throw his fists at Lauberbach’s shot. KVK held on smoothly for the rest in a very mediocre second half, so it seemed to remain 2-0. Until Ferri managed his second of the evening in minute 90 after a clever Zidane and made it 3-0, Raman provided a cushion for the visitors with the late 3-1.
For Besnik Hasi and his KV Mechelen it became an evening to quickly forget, for Freyr Alexandersson and KV Kortrijk one that came at the perfect time: the Icelander seems to be able to save his skin (for the time being anyway), KVK picks up after the big win back to many teams at the bottom.
Photo: BELGIAN
KV Kortrijk: Vandenberghe; Fujii, Silva, Lagae; Mehssatou, Takamine, Dejaegere (66′ Sissako), Kadri, De Neve; Messaoudi (77′ El Idrissy), Ferri
KV Mechelen: DeWolf; Touba, Raemaekers, Marsa (70′ Dahl); Foulon, Schoofs, Mrabti, Ouattara (62′ Raman), Picks (46′ Belghali), Storm (46′ Hairemans), Lauberbach (77′ Bafdili)
Goals: 25′ De Neve (1-0), 45+3′ Ferri (2-0), 90′ Ferri (3-0), 90+6′ Raman (3-1)
Yellow cards: 51′ Lagae, 76′ Raman, 80′ Foulon, 90′ Takamine
Referee: Nathan Verboomen
Spectators: 6.544
