OHL Leuven hosted Standard Liège in the fourth round of the Jupiler Pro League on Saturday evening, and the visitors secured a narrow 2-1 win at King Power den Drif Stadion. The result leaves the hosts rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points from three matches, while Standard move up to fifth place on eight points.
It began with a misstep from OHL, as C. Nielsen converted a penalty in the ninth minute and put the home side ahead. The visitors had to work for their comeback, and by then the match was taking on a familiar pattern: OHL dominating possession without finding clarity. Standard switched off at the back on occasion, but they also showed enough discipline to weather the early pressure.
The turning point came in the second half. W. George pulled one back for OHL in the 66th minute, and the game opened up again. To be fair, the visitors were not without their own chances, but they were more clinical when it mattered. D. Eckert restored the away side's lead just two minutes later, and OHL had to chase the game from that point.
Substitutions followed in quick succession. OHL brought on A. K. Traore in the 58th minute and then doubled their changes at 61 minutes, bringing on S. Drammeh and R. Touzghar. They turned to the kids later, with M. Fossey and B. Nguene arriving at 73 minutes, before a flurry of four changes on the hour-and-eighty mark. Standard were less hurried, but they still had work to do.
The statistics tell a story of unevenness. OHL held 63 per cent possession and registered 52 attacks, yet their shooting accuracy sat at just 14 per cent with three shots on target. Standard, by contrast, struck with 60 per cent accuracy from three attempts. The hosts created four big chances compared to two for the visitors, but chances went begging when the pressure was on.
Cards were handed out as the game tightened. R. Nyakossi and C. Nielsen collected yellows for OHL, while S. Schrijvers and M. Epolo were booked for the visitors. The discipline was about as expected in a contest where both sides were searching for something more.
For Standard, this is a result that builds on their unbeaten run. They have not lost in four matches now, with two wins and two draws, and the away point adds weight to their campaign. OHL remain winless and are running out of games to turn things around.