January 22, 2023
In mid-October these diaries covered the reverse fixture between these two sides when Standard romped to a 3-0 home victory after a scintillating first half display, which removed Antwerp from top spot in the table, and seemed to announce Standard as live title contenders as they moved up into 4th place. Aron Donnum, Denis Dragus, Cihan Cinak and William Balikwisha were all outstanding that day and Steven Alzate, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, gave a typically consistent performance in midfield.
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However, their form since then can best be described as spluttering, as they slipped down to 6th position. They did thrash Anderlecht, and after the match was abandoned following crowd trouble from the Anderlecht fans when their side were losing 0-2 and down to 10 men, Standard were awarded a 5-0 default win. Although Waregem were beaten 3-0, Standard suffered losses at Mechelen ( 0-2 ), Eupen ( 0-2 ) and at home to Union St Gilloise ( 2-3 ). They were also hammered 0-4 at Antwerp in the Belgian Cup.
Standard though, were unbeaten since the resumption after the World Cup/winter break, beating Mechelen 2-0 and drawing with Seraing ( A 1-1 ), St Truiden ( H 1-1 ), and Gent ( A 0-0 ).
Antwerp had been previously featured three times in these diaries, but this was the first time they had been at home at their Bosuilstadion, and the TV cameras unfortunately cleared showed the closed Tribune Twee stand, which is still awaiting demolition and replacement.
Since these diaries covered Antwerp’s 3-3 draw at Westerlo, the Great Old had won at Oostende ( 3-0 ), lost at Union ( 0-2 ) and beaten Gent at home ( 2-0 ). They had also recorded a surprise 3-0 victory at league leaders Genk in the Belgian Cup Quarter-Finals. 17 year old Arthur Vermeeren has been receiving rave reviews for his mature displays since making his full debut against Westerlo.
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The Standard side that took to the field today featured 8 players who had started in the first encounter against Antwerp, with Cyprus international centre-back Kostantinos Laifis, Danish winger/forward Philip Zinckenagel coming into the side, together with Croatian forward Stipe Perica who had come on as a substitute.
The Antwerp starting XI showed two changes from the side that began against Westerlo. Striker Michael Frey had been loaned to Schalke 04 this week and Argentine defender Gaston Avila was on the bench. In their place came Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who would be playing against his brother.
Bet365.com were live streaming the match, and made Antwerp hot favourites at 13/20, with Standard at 7/2 and the draw at 11/4. The temperature at the 13.30 kick-off was a decidedly chilly 1 degree on a dry and cloudy day.
Antwerp came close to opening the scoring after less than 90 seconds. Janssen ran clear from just inside the visitor’s half after a long ball out of defence, and although he drew the keeper, he could only shoot against Bodart’s legs as the keeper spread himself. After a period of confusion offside was given against the Antwerp striker, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.
The early stages belonged to Antwerp, as they pinned Standard into their own penalty area. Bodart claimed a fine catch from an inviting cross, a free-kick was headed clear, and Antwerp won several throw-ins close to the corner flags.
The pressure yielded a result in the 7th minute. Pacho’s long ball down the left-hand channel saw Bataille beat the offside trap and his cross to the far post was met by Janssen, who produced a great header to send the ball across goal into the opposite corner with Bodart wrong footed. After a lengthy VAR delay to check for offside, the goal was finally awarded.
Standard continued to be all at sea as Antwerp continued to poor forward, and Bodart needed to be alert to dive upon De Laet’s low cross into the 6 yard area. Antwerp were winning nearly all the 50/50 tackles, and looked to be much more physically stronger.
Eventually though, Standard managed to get some possession and a clever back-heel by Zinckenagel gave Donnum a sight of goal, but the Norwegian’s shot with the outside of his left foot was blocked by a defender. Cypriot international Laifis then headed weakly from a free-kick for an easy save for Butez.
Disaster struck for Standard in the 28th minute. After a cross into the Antwerp area had been cleared, Canak slipped and lost possession enabling Antwerp to have a 3 on 1 counter attack which they executed to perfection. Muja ran to close to the Standard area and then played a square pass to Ekkelenkamp. With the sole defender having to try and cover, the ex-Hertha Berlin midfielder played a return pass, and together with a dummy from Balikwisha, Muja was clear 15 yards out to sweep the ball left-footed into the keeper’s bottom right-hand corner.
Antwerp had the ball in the net again a few minutes later, but Pacho was adjudged to have fouled Donnum as they challenged at a corner before the loose ball fell to Vermeeren, who shot home through a crowd of players.
Standard made the most of the reprieve by pulling a goal back in the 39th minute. A free-kick midway in the Antwerp half in the middle of the pitch was delivered into the centre of the Antwerp area where Laifis won the header, and the ball looped to just beyond the far post towards Alzate, and the on-loan Brighton Colombian international did well to place a header inside the post.
However, Standard lived up to the old saying that you are never more vulnerable than just after scoring, as from a short-corner routine, Vermeeren’s dangerous corner flicked off the top of Bokadi’s head for an unfortunate own goal for the Congolese defender.
It could have got worse for the visitors as Antwerp almost immediately had a 2 on 1 break, but Muja’s pass to Balikwisha was poor and the chance was wasted, and then Vermeeren’s incisive pass put Muja clear but the Kosovan’s effort was saved.
Standard must have been grateful to have headed down the tunnel only two goals adrift as their back three were being torn apart and changes need to be made to avoid an avalanche in the second half. Indeed, coach Ronny Delia made two changes at half-time, but took off an ineffective forward ( Persica ) and midfielder Canak. These changes certainly had a short-term effect as Standard started the second half strongly but substitute Dragus could only head an in-swinging free-kick away from goal and Zinckenagel’s corner went into the side netting.
The game turned decisively away from Standard five minutes into the second period. Balikwisha and Cimirot tussled as the Antwerp player headed for goal down the left, but a tug on the arm sent Balikwisha tumbling, and the referee had little option other than to show the Bosnian a second yellow and he was off.
The resulting free-kick from Stengs found De Laet completely unmarked 8 yards out but the full-back slipped in attempting to shoot, but he was offside anyway. As Standard continued to flounder, Stengs fired home from 15 yards, but the goal was chalked off as Janssen had strayed offside before teeing up Stengs.
Standard re-organised to move Fossey and their Balikwisha to wing-backs and dropped Zinckenagel back to central midfield, and immediately fashioned a 4 vs 3 break, but Donnum selfishly went for glory rather utilize his better placed team-mates and shot harmlessly well wide. That was to be his last contribution and he taken off a minute later to be replaced by a centre-back as Standard switched to a back five.
Bokadi’s day wasn’t improving and his mistake enabled Janssen to rob him of possession but the striker’s effort went across goal and narrowly wide. Stengs then fell to the ground inside the area after skipping past Noubi but rather than award a spot-kick the referee showed a yellow card to Stengs for diving. The TV replay didn’t appear to show any contact, or if there was it must have been minimal, and Stengs could easily have stayed on his feet and get a shot in.
De Laet than received his obligatory yellow card, pulling back substitute Ohio, before Bokadi made another error, this time a poor defensive header went straight to Muja. Bokadi did manage to get a foot to Muja’s low cross but had to be thankful that the ball then hit Bodart to prevent another own goal !
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Standard took off Alzate, and the TV graphics revealed he had completed the most passes for Standard in the match. Quite frankly, only he and Zinckenagel out of their starting XI could get any credit for their performances today.
Antwerp weren’t finished yet though, and Stengs’ cute chip found Bataille in oceans of space inside the left hand side of the area, and after chest-controlling, the left-back lashed a ferocious right-footed shot against the base of the near post, but it rolled across the face of the goal to safety.
Another goal did arrive in the 86th minute for Antwerp, as De Laet was found completely free on the right wing and his simple square ball presented a straight-forward finish for Janssen as he slid in from 6 yards for his 14th goal this season, and make it 4-1.
There was still time for the visitors to conjure up one more nice move but after Fossey set-up Bokadi for a strike on goal, the effort was straight at Butez, who made a regulation save. It just about summed up Bokadi’s day !
Both sides then made a raft of substitutions as the match fizzled out. At the final whistle, Antwerp deservedly took the three points and had revenge for the beating they suffered in the reverse fixture. The two matches between the two sides had produced two lop-sided victories for the home side….
Royal Antwerp : Butez – De Laet ( Corbanie ), Alderweireld, Pacho, Bataille ( Avila ) – Muja ( Nsimba ), Stengs, Ekkelenkamp, Vermeeren, M.Balikwisha ( Fischer ) - Janssen
Standard Liege : Bodart – Cimirot, Bokadi, Laifis – Fossey ( Melegoni ), W.Balikwisha, Alzate ( Calcut ), Canak ( Ohio ), Donnum ( Noubi ) – Perica ( Dragus ), Zinckenagel
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