Cercle Brugge earned their first point of the season with a draw against OH Leuven on Saturday. A penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time secured a 1-1 final score at Den Dreef.
The home side took the lead through Davis Opoku after twenty-five minutes. Siebe Schrijvers played the ball forward following a one-two with Mirisola for Opoku to finish. Cercle Brugge had chances to equalise, including a Traoré shot that struck the crossbar. Goalkeeper Coucke kept OH Leuven at bay with a save from Gil.
After the break, Cercle Brugge increased the pressure, but a slip from Lawrence in his own box nearly led to a second conceded goal. Leuven's defence held firm for a long time. Six yellow cards were shown in the second half. The decisive moment came deep into added time. VAR referee Vandendriessche reviewed a handball incident. "Handball by Gil was spotted in the box. The decision was very strict: penalty," he said afterwards.
Krys-Anthony Madou Kouassi coolly converted the spot-kick to set the final score at 1-1. The equaliser marked Cercle Brugge's first point this campaign. Under manager Miron Muslic, the team sits 15th in the Jupiler Pro League with three points from six matches. Their recent form reads DLLLD, with two draws and three defeats in the last five games.
The next challenge is an away fixture against Charleroi, who currently sit fourth. The match is scheduled for Saturday, 19 September. Fans can check the full fixtures list and the current standings for more context on this important phase of the season. Sharing the points provides a positive feeling after a tough start.
The report in full is at Oud-Heverlee Leuven
