For the third week in a row, Standard missed the opportunity to enter the top six. When they visited last-place Beerschot, the Rouches did not get further than a scoreless draw (0-0). Beerschot had the better chances, but ran into a very strong Matthieu Epolo.
The red lantern against a team that has been knocking on the door of the top six for weeks. It quickly became clear in the opening phase at Kiel that the rankings do not say everything. Beerschot monopolized the ball, Standard retreated en masse and speculated on the counter. Only the supporters who traveled with us – the away section was packed – performed at the level of a top club.
The fact that Ilay Camara was left injured in Liège did not benefit the football of the Rouches. The left back is one of the few players who provides creativity in Ivan Leko’s team. If even the last team – Beerschot – has scored four more goals after seventeen games, then you know that the Liège public is not really being spoiled this season.
Epolo keeps Standard straight
So the opening phase was for Beerschot. Besides the supporters, goalkeeper Epolo was the only one at a level among the visitors. The replacement for the injured Bodart made himself noticed for the first time with a kamikaze dive with his head first to deny Keita a great opportunity. A little later he was again in the way when the French striker appeared alone in front of him a second time. Agba tried with a long shot, Epolo spectacularly tapped the ball away from under the crossbar.
Standard itself offered very little in return. A shot by Price – far over Shinton’s cage – was the only achievement in an embarrassing first half for the visitors. On the other side, Epolo had to save the furniture twice before half time. Reyners and Verlinden also bit their teeth on the reflexes of the young Liège goalkeeper. A helpless-looking Standard was desperate for the half-time signal, but came close to taking the lead when Ayensa just couldn’t score on a pass from Zeqiri. Shinton and Mbe Soh save the ball from the line with combined efforts.
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Photo: BELGIAN
Off day for Liège strikers
Fortunately for Standard, the peace brought advice. Despite an early chance for Al-Sahafi, the visitors gradually regained balance in the second half. Not that Shinton suddenly had to make one save after another like Epolo before the break. The tighter organization at the Rouches and the increasingly difficult field to play on did not benefit the spectacle value of the match. Beerschot seemed to have lost its best spice before half-time and at Standard the striker duo Ayensa-Zeqiri had a total off day.
We had to wait until the final quarter for new opportunities. First, Lawrence, who had advanced along with him, was stopped just in time by the Beerschot defense and shortly afterwards Epolo had to make another good save on a goal from Al-Sahafi. The 19-year-old goalkeeper has already made some mistakes this season, but at Kiel he was by a wide margin the best man on the field. Beerschot squeezed out a final offensive, but unlike in their previous two games, the Liège defense now held its own in injury time.
Standard misses another chance to enter the top six, but can be happy with a point. Beerschot misses the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Cercle and Kortrijk and remains last.
(Read more below photo)
Photo: BELGIAN
Beerschot 0-0 Standard
Beerschot: Shinton – Dagba (70′ Weymans), Konstantopoulos, Mbe Soh, Plat – Al-Sahafi, Henderson, Al-Ghamdi, Verlinden – Reyners (70′ Wright-Philips), Keita
Standard: Epolo – Fossey, Sutalo, Hautekiet, Lawrence, Bolingoli (67′ Doumbia) – Price, O’Neill, Kuavita – Zeqiri (81′ Benjdida), Ayensa (90′ Bulat).
Goals: no
Penalties: no
Yellow cards: 15′ Hautekiet (drawing error), 65′ Bolingoli (drawing error)
Red cards: no
Referee: Verboomen
Spectators: 5.596
