Genk will remain leader until after the winter break and “all the ingredients are there to stay at the top until the end”

KRC Genk has emphasized its leading position with a victory against Anderlecht. Club Brugge picked up another point from Union. Two great players, enough material for football commentator Bert Sterckx to talk about. “It was the Genk before the chilly weeks again.”

KRC Genk

Anderlecht

The most important conclusion of the match day: KRC Genk will certainly remain leader in the Jupiler Pro League until after the winter break. The gap with Club Brugge is 3 points, but Genk has won 2 more matches.

The victory against Anderlecht was well deserved. It was an appropriate reaction after the defeat in Bruges, which attracted some criticism, as well as the somewhat inferior performances against, for example, STVV, Charleroi and the 4-0 defeat at Union.

If there were any doubts among the Limburgers, they were certainly not visible against Anderlecht. There was a clear goal: respond and set a record with 9 home wins in a row. Something they are not unjustly proud of at Genk.

Because it just happened with good football. A very strong right flank with running prodigy El Ouahdi, in midfield Bangoura knows how to recover balls that are elusive for others with his long legs. There was Karetsas who had been looking for that first goal for a while and has now finally found it.

Anyone who has not yet voted for the Golden Shoe and was unsure about which shooter with ten goals or more he wants to award points, now resolutely chooses Tolu.

Bert Sterckx

And above all: Tolu in the front! Anyone who has not yet voted for the Golden Shoe and was unsure about which shooter with ten goals or more he wants to award points, now resolutely chooses Tolu.

He scored, provided an assist, but also played a huge role in the defense. He helped shape the game and Genk's victory with his hard work.

It just fit well, there was verticality in the game. It was the Racing Genk before the chilly weeks again.

The Limburgers have never lost twice in a row. They can submit a great report at home, which are good ingredients to stay at the top of the rankings until the end.

Anderlecht also aims to be at the top. Yesterday it was less: comparisons even emerged with the period under Brian Riemer. That was mainly about the approach to the match.

I also had a bit of a “Riemer-ball” feeling at Slavia Prague. Only there they won and no one made a big deal about it. Anderlecht also played defensively there, but David Hubert's plan was correct.

With Dendoncker who was more defender than midfielder. With Verschaeren who often had to swerve to the right and did well there. With Vazquez weighing more on the defense than Dolberg did yesterday. The knife between the teeth was just sharp there and so were the counter-attacks.

Anderlecht lacked a clear identity yesterday.

Bert Sterckx

The knife sharpener clearly hadn't come by for the match yesterday. Perhaps the biggest problem was that it was neither mussel nor fish.

It was a matter of two minds: Slavia style or relying more on one's own strength. Anderlecht lacked a clear identity yesterday.

Apart from that: Anderlecht has lost too many matches and was much less good on the ball than Genk. No Dolberg, no party either… The Dane only got into scoring position once, but was also noticeably absent from the match.

Fortunately, there is no problem after a very strong series. But please note January 12: Anderlecht-Club Brugge is the next real winner for the purple and white.

All three of the previous top matches against Genk and Club Brugge lost. So Anderlecht must show that it can take that step if it wants to compete for the highest prize in May. That seems like a good resolution for 2025.

Union

Club Bruges

Union – Club Brugge finished 2-2 and everyone seemed pretty happy with that point. Especially at Club Brugge, because they managed to make up for a 2-0 deficit.

The 1-0 just before half-time was certainly avoidable. An unfortunate moment by Seys and Skov Olsen forgets to make the professional foul. The 2-0 was even more unfortunate: an own goal, at a time when Club was trying to take control of the match.

Until then it was balanced with an attempt to have Mechele divide the game as a kind of sliding and playing libero, something that worked well a few times.

Shortly after that 2-0, Nicky Hayen changed his system, which was actually already palpable when he had Romero come on for Seys at half-time, that the system would be adjusted a little later.

After 10 matchdays there were doubts at Club. It has now been unbeaten for 13 games. Sometimes a little patience doesn't hurt.

Bert Sterckx

With a lot of courage, willpower and with an abundance of attacking players on the pitch at Club, we managed to get a point. Again with super sub Talbi, who has now scored 5 times as a substitute in the competition.

And thanks to a super save from Mignolet in the final minute. It was a reflex of a young spring at the age of 36. Club has now remained undefeated for 13 matches across all competitions.

However, there were doubts after ten match days. At 15 out of 30 the balance was poor. Was it all enough under Hayen? Now he is being congratulated on his switch to a two-striker system, which was not trained for.

Things can change that quickly in football. Sometimes a little patience doesn't hurt.

Also a point for Union, which has not yet lost to Club Brugge this season. I think that says something about the people of Brussels.

Union won the Supercup at the beginning of the season, that half of the preparatory match against Club. After that they played two more draws in the competition.

Against the club that everyone considers as title candidate number 1, with the strongest core, which is showing great things in the Champions League.

Ivanovic showed again how good he can play football, and how fast he is with the ball at his feet, also at 1-0. But then after the 2-0, Union made the switch too slowly, the people of Brussels were not ready to absorb Club's attack, the substitutions also came late.

It will be a puzzle at the Christmas table for Pocognoli for the last match of the year at AA Gent.

Bert Sterckx

Union has now drawn for the tenth (!) time and has one defeat less than Genk. And Union could of course still have won, without Mignolet's reflex.

Notably, Christian Burgess almost scored the winning goal with his shoulder. He again played on the edge the entire match. He goes to the extreme every time against Club, now against his ex-teammate Nilsson. The Bruges fans loved him raw.

But Burgess did pick up his fifth yellow card, as did Mac Allister, meaning they were both suspended. And so it becomes a puzzle at the Christmas table for Pocognoli for the last match of the year at AA Gent.

Mac Allister and Burgess will therefore have a slightly longer winter break. Unlike the others who have to play on December 26 and 27, they will not have to pay too much attention to the croquette during Christmas.