Eupen secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Liège in the sixth round of the Challenger Pro League on Saturday evening. The home side took control early and never looked back, with Pierre-Yves Ngawa's late strike confirming a result that reflected their superiority on the pitch. By then the visitors had already seen their momentum disrupted by a penalty shout that came to nothing.
The opening goal arrived in the twenty-third minute when Raphael Augustin Di Matteo found the back of the net, a moment that set the tone for the remainder of the half. Ten minutes later, Liège appeared to have a chance to respond when Ba-Muaka Simakala was awarded a penalty, only for the VAR check to cancel it. Isaac Nuhu added a second before the interval, and the home side never surrendered their advantage.
The second half was more even in territory but Eupen's defensive discipline kept them ahead. João Diogo Alves Rodrigues pulled one back for Liège in the seventieth minute, but the visitors could not find an equaliser. Pierre-Yves Ngawa restored the two-goal cushion in the eighty-second minute, and a red card for Arnold Qevani in stoppage time rendered any comeback impossible.
Statistically, the match told a familiar story. Liège registered 103 attacks compared to Eupen's 79, but produced no big chances and wasted more opportunities. The visitors were more accurate with their shooting at 43 per cent, yet Eupen's goalkeeper had to make four saves while his counterpart made just one. The red card in the dying moments meant Liège finished the game a man down, though the result was already decided.
The victory moves Eupen further clear in the table. They sit third with twelve points from five games, having lost just once this season. Liège remain in tenth place with five points from six matches, and the defeat extends their struggle to find consistency. To be fair, they had shown resilience in recent draws, but this performance lacked the edge needed against a well-organized opponent.
