From loser, this confrontation may not have deserved it on Saturday, as its protaganists offered a high quality show. Intense, undecided between two teams who went blow for blow, sometimes in the literal sense of the term, the exchanges kept the 600 spectators in suspense until the last minute.
And this since the first minute or almost since it only took a hundred seconds to the decidedly insatiable Mballa to open the score of a nice successful Madjer on a Duku center. Virton launched and Hasselt already in the strings? What Nenni! The Limburgers, far from deconancy, have offered a reaction worthy of the laurel candidates that they will be this season in Dutch -speaking D1. With great accuracy the vertical transitions orchestrated by Gerits, Milts or the ex-Brugeois Dierckx which perfectly exploited the spaces left by a Phalange Virtonaise too little aggressive. It is very logically that Bounou and Valcke overturned the steam while Cremer and Sanson even avoided a clearer difference. And that a disputed intervention (hand?) In the Virtonaise surface left Mr. Ledda of Marble.
Replacement and readjustment
The Virtonais salvation came from a modification made after half an hour and the Ichios of aloe injury. Carzaniga then brought down Maxime Guillaume in central defense, launching in the fight a Valentin Guillaume surprisingly confined to the bench so far. And above all, he allowed the Greens to better contain the Hasseltois by reversing his median triangle, operating with two recovery environments (Arib and the tireless Dembélé) in the back of V. Guillaume. The finally more intense and more ordered pressing of the Gaumais gave the game another turn. Mballa’s opportunism too, which came back to it twice to equalize the 36th, a few minutes before a much more enterprising Almeida than the past season comes to adjust a raging heading on a center of Arib.
Arib, twice decisive passer
The same Arib who was going to bring a little doubt into the Virtonian minds as soon as he returns from the locker room when he … launched perfectly as he wanted to adjust a pass to his goalkeeper. The visitor striker did not pray to restore new equality.
It was however there the singing of the swan of a Hasselttoise team which, of course, was going to maintain a certain consistency in its game, but without being able to really worry Cremer or disarple a Gauman phalanx which took over more and more physically (the Nicolas de Matos effect?). And could (must have?) Exploit at least one of the opportunities she inherited then. Especially after the exclusion (2 CJ in 2 minutes) of Bounou, victim of the Roublaise de Sanson ten minutes from the end of regulation time. Duku, Mballa and V. Guillaume thus had the opportunity to shake the nets while Kroonen and Verburgh saved the furniture on attempts by Duku and a very punchy Namri on the left side.
The Virtonais could have bitten their fingers. The remarkable execution of their five shots on goal allowed them not to feed regrets. And above all to be able to welcome the Beerschot, descendant of D1, the next round, on September 6.
TECHNIQUE
Virtue: Cermer ; Aloé (30′, V. Gullaume), Sanson, Genèver (106′, Buhaga), Namri ; M. Gillaum, Good, Air ; The Almeida, Duku (105′, Coulibaly), Mbala (80′, Lakhami).
Hasselt: Ghijsens; Verburgh, Thiam, Dassen, Kroonen (95 ‘, Mokam); Vankerkhoven, Gerits, Dierckx (82 ‘, Munezero), Bounou; Milts (68 ‘, Vanhaeren), Valcke (82’, Masscho).
Arbitrator: L. Ledda.
Assistance: 600.
Yellow cards: Dembelé, Sanson; Vankerkhoven, Kroonen, Mokam.
Red card: Bountou (80 ‘, 2 CJ).
Buts: Wall (2 ‘, 1-0), bouou (14’, 1-1), Valcke (26 ‘, 1-2), wall (36’, 2-2), of Almeida (42 ‘, 3-2), Milts (48’, 3-3).
Shots on goal: Vanhaeren (0-1), De Almeida (1-1), Vanckerckoven (1-2), Namri (2-2), Gerits (2-3), Arib (3-3), Mokam (3-4), V. Guillaume (4-4), Verburgh (4-4), Lakhamy (5-4).