Belgium round-up: Brugge bubble bursts

Club Brugge KV, still jubilant after their surprise 1-0 win against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, crashed to a 4-2 defeat against lowly K. Heusden-Zolder on Sunday.
 
Shock defeat
A victory would have taken Brugge to second in the table behind runaway leaders RSC Anderlecht - but it was not to be. The size of the achievement is emphasised by the fact the home side, who were even reduced to ten men after the break, began the encounter bottom of the league and without a victory in nine starts.

No way back
Despite opening the scoring in the ninth minute through Nastja Ceh, the visitors conceded goals to Igor De Camargo and Dmitri De Condé before the interval and Bjorn Janssen, and De Camargo again, afterwards, rendering Ivan Gvozdenovic's 58th-minute strike irrelevant.

No mistakes
Anderlecht, meanwhile, did not slip up, sauntering to a 4-0 victory against KFC Germinal Beerschot. The Brussels team, who defeated Celtic FC 1-0 in midweek, returned to domestic competition predictably full of confidence and scored three goals before the break to virtually guarantee the three points and extend their lead at the summit.

Baseggio double
The impressive Walter Baseggio was twice on target, in the fifth and 24th minutes, either side of his team's second goal from Ivory Coast midfield player Aruna Dindane. Striker Ivica Mornar added another for good measure after the interval.

Two down
Second-placed KRC Genk, on 20 points, were unable to make ground on the leaders after they suffered a 5-2 reverse away at the hands of RAA Louviéroise. It was a bad night for the visitors as they found themselves two goals down inside the first 15 minutes, going behind to goals from Sammy van den Bossche and Mickaël Murcy.

Rapid strikes
Kevin Vandenburgh pulled one back and Bernd Thijs restored parity in the 65th minute but three goals inside half an hour from Frédéric Tilmant, Serge Djamba-Shango and Nigerian forward Manaseh Ishiaku turned the match irrevocably in the home team’s favour.

Edge closer
Almai Moreira helped R. Standard de Liège to within a point of Genk thanks to a 2-1 defeat of K. Sint-Truidense VV away from home. He scored both goals – one in either half – to cancel out an opener from Bram Vangeel. R. Excelsior Mouscron lie in fourth position following a 3-0 defeat of KSK Beveren on their travels. Steve Dugardein, Marcin Zewlakow and Mbo Mpenza were all on target.

Two draws
KVC Westerlo, in sixth, saw off R. Charleroi SC 2-1, R. Antwerp FC impressed in a 3-1 defeat of K. Lierse SK while Cercle Brugge KSV fought out a 2-2 draw with KSC Lokeren OV. Neither KAA Gent or RAEC Mons could break the deadlock in a scoreless draw.