Kairat 0-3 Anderlecht result, stats and report

Danylo Sikan's 43rd-minute left-foot finish was enough for Anderlecht to claim a narrow 1-0 home victory over KV Kortrijk, with the visitors offering too little in attack to seriously threaten an equaliser.

Anderlecht were three goals to the good by half-time in Almaty, with a third-minute own goal setting the tone for a structured, disciplined performance that Kairat never found an answer to. The game was effectively over before the home side had time to settle into any kind of shape.

SK Beveren scored through a 14th-minute header and then defended with discipline and organisation for the remaining 76 minutes to take all three points against Anderlecht, who dominated possession and territory but could not convert their overwhelming pressure into a goal.

Anderlecht arrive at Wednesday's Europa League clash on the back of five straight wins without conceding more than two goals in any game. Lyon, priced as clear favourites, will need to prove they deserve that billing.

Anderlecht host Zulte-Waregem on Saturday evening carrying genuine momentum but a defensive question that keeps following them home. This is a fixture with a clear tactical story underneath the surface.

Mechelen host Anderlecht on Friday evening with both sides carrying concerning recent form, but the structural problems running through this Mechelen side make them a team to watch very carefully rather than back blindly.

Anderlecht host Genk at the Loten on Sunday afternoon in a Belgian Pro League fixture that the raw standings barely do justice to. The underlying numbers point to a genuinely competitive contest between two sides whose early-season results have not quite reflected the quality of chances they are creating.

Anderlecht take on a KV Kortrijk side sitting bottom of the Belgian Pro League table with zero goals and zero points from their opening two fixtures. The contrast in early-season form makes this one of the more straightforward previews of matchday three.