Berchem took points off fourth-placed Dudelange on Saturday evening, winning 39:38 in the AXA League. The hosts held their nerve in a match decided by a single goal. It was a result that changes the shape of the table.
Both sides came into the fixture with similar records. Berchem sat third with nine points from four wins and a draw, while Dudelange had eight points from four victories and two draws. Neither side had much room to breathe.
The visitors held their nerve for most of the contest, but Berchem had the game won in the closing stages. The margin of victory was narrow, and the away side could have taken something from the encounter. By then, though, the hosts had already made their move.
Recent form suggested this would be close. Berchem had won three of their last five, including a 42:30 victory over Rumlange. Dudelange were unbeaten in five, though they had suffered a couple of heavier defeats to PAOK in September.
We had backed the away side at 52 per cent confidence. The prediction did not come off. Berchem played the second half a man up, or at least looked like it, and that made the difference.
The result leaves Berchem three points clear of the visitors. It was a fourth straight win of sorts for the hosts, given their last defeat came earlier in the campaign. Dudelange remain unbeaten, but the gap is now wider than it looked at the start of the weekend.
