Merelbeke and Eupen met in the Round of 64 of the Cup on 27 September, and the away side took a narrow victory thanks to a single goal. The match ended 0:1, a result that feels about right when you consider how both teams have been playing.
It was L. Delaurier-Chaubet who made the difference, finding the net in the 71st minute. By then the game had settled into something familiar — Merelbeke pushing forward without quite finding the rhythm, Eupen waiting for their moment. And here's the thing, that goal came when the home side was still searching for answers.
Merelbeke's recent record suggests they have been struggling to string results together. They lost 0:2 to Lierse Kempenzonen in August, then went down 1:6 to Gent in June. Before that another 0:2 defeat to the same side, and a 1:2 loss to Huk. They did manage 2:0 against Racing Mechelen in August 2025, but that feels like water under the bridge now.
Eupen have been far more consistent. Three wins in a row before this match — 3:1 against Liège, 2:1 over Patro Eisden, and 1:0 against Club NXT. They had lost 1:2 to Lokeren-Temse and then won 4:1 against Genk II. To be fair, the away side came into this tie with momentum on their side.
There were no other events to speak of, no goals besides the one in the second half, no dismissals, no dramatic shifts in momentum. The match lived and died on that 71st-minute strike. Eupen held on, Merelbeke could only watch.
What this means is simple. Eupen advance, Merelbeke go home. The cup progresses, one side moves closer to the quarter-finals, the other returns to training with the weight of another exit. By then the focus will shift to the next fixture for both clubs.
