KV Mechelen suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat at home to KVC Westerlo on Thursday evening. The result leaves the club in deep trouble in the Jupiler Pro League, sitting 14th with just two points from their first four matches.
The match at Achter De Kazerne kicked off at 20:08 and quickly turned into a nightmare for the hosts. Shunsuke Saito opened the scoring for Westerlo after an assist from Sakamoto. The Japanese attacker remained a constant threat throughout. KV Mechelen created almost no danger, managing just one shot on target all evening. Westerlo goalkeeper Jungdal had little to do as a result.
KV Mechelen tried to show more fight after halftime. Coach Charaï delivered a thundering team talk during the break, which initially seemed to work. The improvement lasted less than ten minutes, however. Saito scored his second goal of the night in the second half, aided by a defensive error from Congreve. That goal sealed the outcome.
The biggest sting for KV Mechelen fans came late on. Nikola Storm, a former player of the club, netted the fourth goal. He didn't celebrate his strike but received cynical applause from the home supporters. They were reacting to the disastrous performance. "Shame on you" was heard from the stands.
Westerlo coach Charaï was relieved afterwards. "Clean sheet! Two days off!" he reportedly told his players, according to the match report from Sporza Voetbal. Before the game, assistant coach Vanderbiest had stated: "With all respect for Westerlo, this is a must-win game." That comment now rings painfully hollow.
The statistics tell a grim story. KV Mechelen have conceded nine goals this season while scoring only five. With a goal difference of minus four, they trail league leaders Charleroi by ten points. The next challenge comes quickly, with a home game against 10th-placed Anderlecht on September 11th.
Besides Saito and Storm, 19-year-old French midfielder Marco Decherf, signed from Dunkerque, caught the eye. He made a strong tackle on Congreve and didn't retreat. For KV Mechelen, there were few positives. Ayodele had to be substituted after a foul by Lapage, and Vanrafelghem went down injured in stoppage time. Referee D'Hondt blew for full time after 93 minutes.
Westerlo had seventeen new players in their squad this season but fielded a largely unchanged starting eleven from the previous year. Bassette, Ourega and Congreve missed further chances for the visitors, meaning the scoreline could have been even worse. KV Mechelen must regroup quickly ahead of the Anderlecht clash, with their current standings position adding urgency to the task.
