Union strike after the break to beat Cercle Brugge

Union beat Cercle Brugge 5-2 at the Duden Park. The Brussels side fell behind early on from the penalty spot and even trailed by two goals in the second half. However, in a goal-filled encounter, Union hit back with five goals to turn the game around, with Cercle having to play with ten men following a red card.

Union hosted bottom-of-the-table Cercle Brugge, who were still searching for their first win of the season. Nevertheless, the Unionistas were determined not to underestimate their opponents, especially after being held to a draw by OH Leuven in the previous round.

Cercle Strike First

The opening stages were evenly contested, with both sides pressing high and looking to find a way through. Cercle Brugge looked the more threatening team but initially failed to create any clear-cut chances. The visitors registered the first shot on target in the 16th minute.

Cercle took the lead from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute. Chibani held Ngoura for too long inside the box, leaving the referee with little hesitation before pointing to the spot. Ngoura stepped up himself and sent Koffi the wrong way to make it 1-0.

Union needed to raise the tempo. Aquino first delivered an excellent cross towards Florucz, who just failed to get his head on the ball. Moments later, after a neat passing move, Mofokeng whipped in a fine cross for Florucz, but the Austrian's effort went straight at the goalkeeper. Chibani also tried his luck from distance, only for Coucke to produce a fine diving save. Union went into the break trailing 1-0.

Two Goals Down, Union Fight Back to Level

The second half got off to the worst possible start for Union. Cercle were ruthlessly clinical and doubled their lead just three minutes after the restart. The visitors caught Union out from a corner, and the home side failed to clear their lines. Vanzeir collected the ball near the byline and attempted to send it back into the box, but the ball deflected off Sylla and into his own net to make it 2-0.

Cercle's two-goal cushion lasted less than a minute. Florucz immediately pulled one back for Union. Played in by De Roeve, the Austrian unleashed a strike from outside the box into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-1.

Despite Union's intense pressure, Cercle managed to break forward again in the 58th minute. Ngoura raced through one-on-one with Koffi but missed the chance to restore Cercle's two-goal lead. Union hit back almost immediately. Following a throw-in, Havenaar flicked the ball on before an unmarked Sylla headed home to bring the sides level at 2-2.

Union Overwhelm Cercle

Cercle were reduced to ten men in the 64th minute when Vanzeir was shown a red card for an overly aggressive challenge on De Roeve. Union's third goal looked increasingly likely, and ten minutes later the hosts finally took the lead. Van de Perre delivered a cross, and Sylla directed a header towards Rodriguez. Rodriguez arrived too late to make contact, and Kakou inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to put Union 3-2 ahead.

Union were not finished yet and continued to pile on the pressure. Patris delivered a cross, and Mofokeng produced a looping header over the goalkeeper and into the net to make it 4-2.

Deep into stoppage time, Union added a fifth. Mofokeng delivered a superb cross, and Rodriguez calmly headed home to complete the 5-2 rout. The emphatic comeback keeps Union firmly inside the league's top three.