Promoted Dender Keep Up Impressive Form in Belgium

Dender continued their strong start to the season with a 2-1 victory away at Beerschot, securing their third win of the campaign. 

The match at the sun-drenched Olympic Stadium, part of matchday six, featured a clash between two newly promoted sides with very different fortunes. Dender arrived with eight points from five games, while Beerschot were struggling with just a single point and no victories to their name.

Dender wasted no time asserting their dominance. Just minutes into the game, a poor loss of possession and slack defending from the home side allowed Hrncar to open the scoring, putting Beerschot on the back foot immediately.

Things went from bad to worse for Beerschot less than fifteen minutes later when VAR spotted an unfortunate handball by Konstantopoulos, resulting in a penalty. Nsimba made no mistake from the spot, doubling Dender’s lead and leaving the home fans visibly frustrated.

Beerschot struggled to mount any meaningful attacks throughout the first half, managing only a tame effort from Verlinden just before the break. Meanwhile, Dender could have extended their lead, with Hrncar missing a golden chance to make it 3-0.

The second half saw a spirited response from Beerschot, sparked by a triple substitution from manager Dirk Kuijt. New signing Antoine Colassin, making his debut, was particularly influential. He was unlucky not to score when a teammate inadvertently blocked his shot, but his persistence paid off when he won a penalty after being fouled by Dender’s Pupe. Hervé Matthys converted, giving Beerschot a lifeline and igniting hopes of a comeback.

However, Dender quickly regained their composure. The introduction of Berte added fresh energy to their attack, and Nsimba nearly restored their two-goal cushion with a clever chip that hit the post.

As the game wore on, Beerschot’s attacking waves gradually lost momentum. Their final chance came from a Konstantopoulos shot that was well saved by Dender goalkeeper Verrips.

The defeat leaves Beerschot at the foot of the Pro League table with just one point, while Dender’s victory lifts them to the top of the standings. The gulf in form between the two promoted sides was clear to see, with Dender firmly in the ascendancy and Beerschot still searching for their first win of the season.