Zulte Waregem saw off Vasaland-Beveren 4-0 in the third round of the Jupiler Pro League at the Regenboogstadion on Saturday afternoon. The hosts controlled proceedings from an early stage and never looked in doubt as they extended their unbeaten run to eight matches. To be fair, the result reflected a performance where the home side cut them open at will, despite the visitors enjoying the majority of possession.
T. Claes opened the scoring in the twenty-first minute, giving Zulte Waregem a deserved lead. Z. Atrok doubled the advantage in the thirty-fifth, finishing calmly after a well-worked move. Christophe Janssens went offside after a yellow card in the seventeenth, and Sieben Dewaele followed suit before the break. The hosts had four big chances created and seven shots on target by half-time.
Atrok struck again in the fifty-fifth minute, extending his brace and leaving Vasaland-Beveren with nothing to show for their territorial dominance. A. Ementa added a fourth in the sixtieth, capitalising on a defensive error. The visitors made three substitutions in quick succession in the sixty-third minute, bringing on B. Godeau, F. Slegers and L. Mertens in a futile attempt to change the complexion of the game.
A VAR check in the eightieth minute cancelled a goal attempt by Nikola Mituljikić, but the damage was already done. Vasaland-Beveren saw Jearl Margaritha booked in stoppage time as frustration mounted. The hosts made several changes as well, with M. Ake, A. Ementa and C. Lokesa among those sent off the pitch.
The statistics told a familiar story. Vasaland-Beveren held 62 per cent possession and completed 554 passes compared to Zulte Waregem's 318. The visitors launched 135 attacks and attempted 22 crosses, but created zero big chances. Zulte Waregem registered seven shots on target from eleven attempts, while their opponents managed just three on target from seven.
The result leaves Zulte Waregem fifth in the table with eight points from four games, two wins and two draws. Vasaland-Beveren remain twelfth with three points from four matches, having lost three of their opening fixtures. And here's the thing — a clean sheet and four goals away from home would have been expected to lift the visitors, but instead they fell further behind.