2023-08-10 09:07:00
Ask Anderlecht alumni which trips they feared the most, and the one to Sint-Truiden will certainly be one of them. Despite the crisis that Anderlecht is currently going through, the black beast that was the Canary Trudonnaire, however, seems tamed. Anderlecht remain on two wins and a draw at Stayen, their last defeat dates back to 2018, five years ago.
Back to the 1960s, when Raymond Goethals from Brussels was at the start of his rich coaching career. As Saint-Truiden coach, his game of the year was against the great Anderlecht. Like this October 3, 1965. Champion in 1964 and 1965, Sporting had started the 1965-1966 season with the same supremacy. 3-1 against Club Brugge, 5-1 against Fenerbahçe in the European Cup of Champions Clubs, only two goals conceded in five games: nobody could stop Paul Van Himst, Jurion, Stockman and others.
Until this visit to Sint-Truiden. As always, the stadium was packed (20,000 standing seats at that time) and the noise from the drumming of billboards was deafening. Jan Mulder, who had just arrived at Anderlecht but was not yet in the team at that time, was always shocked by the aggressiveness of the Saint-Trond players. The offside trap set up by Goethals did the rest. Anderlecht lost 2-0. Four months later, Anderlecht took revenge at Parc Astrid: 6-0 with five goals from Mulder. Sporting had won a new title, seven points ahead of the vice-champion… Saint-Trond.
September 2009. Sporting lost 2-1 at Stayen. ©PhotoNews
But this defeat of October 3, 1965 was no exception. Since World War II, Anderlecht have lost 15 times to Staaien – which became Stayen in 2009. Adding the three eliminations in the Belgian Cup (including two after penalties), Anderlecht have obtained 64 points out of 141 – or 45% of the points – until 2020. Even since 2011, when Roland Duchâtelet had a synthetic pitch built which should have been better suited to the small technical players of Sporting, the Anderlechtois have often suffered.
Saint-Trond is the only team in the current D1 – not counting RWDM – which has not beaten Anderlecht since 2018.
However, from the 2020-2021 season, Sporting seems to have reversed the trend with its 7 of 9 (77% of the points), even if the point taken by Kompany (2-2) in 2021 was stolen. The victory of April 2021 (0-1, goal by Verschaeren) had qualified Anderlecht for the playoffs 1, that of last season (0-3) seemed to be the start of a good season under Mazzù. Fabio Silva had played his best game for Anderlecht, the enthusiasm within the purple family was enormous. In vain.
But Saint-Trond has therefore still become Anderlecht’s favorite opponent. It is the only team – with Ostend and Seraing – against which the Mauves obtained a 6 out of 6 last season. This is the team against which Anderlecht got their biggest win of the season. It is the only team in the current D1 (not counting RWDM) that has not beaten Sporting since 2018.
But beware: the 6 out of 6 under Thorsten Fink may have given wings to the Canaries…
Travel from Anderlecht to Saint-Trond. ©Didier Lorge
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