Joshua Zirkzee played a major role for Anderlecht on Sunday evening in the spectacular home game against OH Leuven. After an early 0-2 deficit, the striker did something back in the final phase of the first half, before determining the final score in the injury time of the second half: 2-2. Anderlecht received two red cards in the second half, the last of which led to a penalty for Leuven deep in injury time. However, that was turned by goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge. Anderlecht were able to extend the unbeaten series to nine official games. Purple-White is in sixth place, five points behind leader Club Brugge.
At the end of August, Anderlecht lost in the last preliminary round of the Conference League to Vitesse (2-1) and in the league against KRC Genk (1-0), but since then the team of coach Vincent Kompany has remained unbeaten. Within fifteen minutes, however, Leuven was already 0-2 ahead of the Lotto Park. Sory Kaba left Hendrik Van Crombrugge without a chance with a headbutt after a measured cross by Xavier Mercier; not much later the goalkeeper misjudged a swipe by Mathieu Maertens, who got too much space. The ball eventually flew in through the post. Anderlecht were looking for a counterattack. Yari Verschaeren, Zirkzee and Anouar Ait El Hadj asserted themselves before the Dutchman made the connection goal.
El Hadj launched left back Sergio Gómez, who in turn enabled Zirkzee to score. Goalkeeper Rafael Romo van Leuven prevented Benito Raman from making it 2-2 before the break. Fifteen minutes after the interruption, Wesley Hoedt thought he would score for the equalizer, but after VAR intervention, the arbitration ruled that the defender committed a pushing foul on Mandela Keita, causing the goal to be cancelled. The arbitration was not in favor of Anderlecht throughout the match. Both in the first and in the second half, the home team unsuccessfully asked for a penalty.
Referee Jasper Vergoote did not heed the shouting after an alleged handball by Musa Al-Taamari and a later violation by the same Al-Taamari. To make matters worse, the arbitration did intervene after Michael Murillo in the eyes of the VAR on the foot of Sébastien Dewaest. The offense resulted in a direct red card for the right-back. After a quick breakout from Leuven, Van Crombrugge prevented Al-Tamari’s 1-3; Anderlecht looked for the equalizer in the final phase, but Romo prevented Josh Cullen from scoring with a nice float dive after a header from a freestanding position.
So it seemed to remain 2-1, until Zirkzee was able to score in the fourth minute of injury time after Romo did not process a pass from Francis Amuzu properly. In the seventh minute of injury time, Majeed Ashimeru received a red card. He took a shot from Alexis De Sart as a goalkeeper off the line, as Luis Suárez did for Uruguay against Ghana at the 2014 World Cup. Just like then, the opponent was awarded a penalty, and again it was not used. Van Crombrugge became Anderlecht’s great hero in the bizarre apotheosis.