Olympiacos Charleroi and Habay-la-Neuve shared six points in the Cup Round of 64 on Friday evening. The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Charleroi reduced to ten men at the death. By then, both sides had shown enough quality to earn at least a share of the spoils.
Charleroi struck first through a well-taken effort in the twenty-sixth minute. The home side controlled possession at 52 per cent and pressed forward with purpose. They registered five shots on target in total, though only one found the net. To be fair, Habay did not look out of sorts despite the early setback.
The visitors levelled in the fifty-seventh minute, turning the tie on its head. Habay had only two shots on target across the entire match, but this third attempt found its mark. Charleroi responded with aggression, picking up two bookings in five minutes as frustration mounted.
Extra time brought drama when Charleroi received a red card in the one hundred and eleventh minute. The dismissal changed everything, leaving the home side to defend their draw with ten men. The stadium fell silent as Habay pressed forward, but could not find the winner.
The statistics tell a story of two evenly matched sides. Charleroi registered sixty-three attacks to Habay's sixty-two, while corners stood at four to six. Both teams missed four shots on target, but Charleroi's accuracy was superior with five versus two on target.
The result leaves both teams in the competition, though Charleroi will reflect on how a red card in the dying moments cost them a chance to win. Habay showed resilience after their early goal, and their away record of four yellow cards suggests a tough battle was expected.
