Hein Vanhaezebrouck says Anderlecht escaped against Cercle Brugge

Anderlecht secured a narrow 1-2 victory against Cercle Brugge on October 11, 2026, after trailing for the majority of the match at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Nieuwsblad reported. Cercle Brugge held a 1-0 lead deep into the second half thanks to an 11th-minute goal by Abdoulie Manneh, only to concede two goals in the final minutes.

Late goals reverse Cercle Brugge advantage

Sporza reported that Cercle Brugge was on the verge of claiming its first competitive victory since April, having entered the fixture with a record of 3 points from 21. Trainer Lars Friis made seven changes to his lineup compared to their previous outing against Charleroi, deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation that neutralized Anderlecht’s attack for nearly the entire game. Abdoulie Manneh opened the scoring in the 11th minute by capitalizing on an assist from Luke Le Roux following a turnover by Marco Kana.

Anderlecht struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the contest. In a desperate tactical shift, coach Vitor Bruno introduced a wave of attacking players. The strategy paid off in the 85th minute when Bentayeb headed in an equalizer. Deep into stoppage time in the 93rd minute, substitute Adriano Bertaccini scored with another header to snatch the 1-2 victory for the visitors.

Van der Bruggen substitution shifts momentum

GVA reported that the tactical shift in the match occurred directly after Cercle Brugge captain Hannes Van der Bruggen was substituted in the 71st minute. Playing his first competitive match in five months following a long absence, Van der Bruggen explained that his energy had completely run out. My fuel tank was empty, my candle was out, Van der Bruggen told GVA regarding his physical state.

Following his departure alongside Tunde Akinsola, the structural organization of Cercle Brugge dissolved. Substitutes Lukas Mondele and Abdoul Kader Ouattara entered the match as the team lost its defensive compactness. The resulting defensive gaps allowed Anderlecht to exploit the space in the closing minutes, culminating in the two decisive headers.

Tactical criticism and squad reactions

Analyst Hein Vanhaezebrouck noted that Cercle Brugge paid the price for needing more opportunities to score, stating that they have 3 chances and make 2 goals, while we need many more to score. He also criticized Anderlecht’s overall performance, remarking that Anderlecht has simply escaped on Cercle and comparing Vitor Bruno’s mass introduction of forwards to a tactical approach by Rudi Garcia without a clear plan.