Dender saw off Seraing United 2-0 in a fourth-round fixture of the Challenger Pro League on Thursday evening. Emmanuel Mballa Amougou opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Amine Daali doubled the lead shortly after the break in the 48th. The result leaves Dender two points clear of the bottom half while Seraing United remain rooted to 14th place.
The hosts controlled the tempo without dominating possession, which sat at 48 per cent. Bo De Kerf came on for a substitution in the sixth minute, and Malcolm Viltard made his way into the side at half-time. Nathan Rodes picked up a yellow card in the 39th minute as Seraing United struggled to find rhythm in the final third.
Seraing United had more attacks — 118 compared to 91 — but could not convert. They registered nine shots off target and only one on target, while Dender had three shots on target and five off. The visitors' goalkeeper made one save, the same as his counterpart. By then the pattern was clear: Seraing United kept knocking on the door but could not find the handle.
Substitutions followed the usual script. Wassim Bahri and Nabil Bouchentouf were paired in the 66th minute, and Reda Aamer came off for M Gnemagnon five minutes later. Emmanuel Mballa Amougou and Amine Daali were both withdrawn in the 74th minute. Oussmane Kébé arrived in the 77th, and Junior Sambu Mansoni was booked in the 79th.
Dender now sit fourth with six points from three games, having won two and lost one. Their recent run includes a 2-1 victory over Lierse and a 2-0 win against Beerschot Wilrijk. Seraing United remain on one point with a draw and two defeats, and they need the points badly if they are to climb out of the relegation zone.
