Sporting Charleroi 3-2 Cercle Brugge result, stats and report

Sporting Charleroi won 3-2 against Cercle Brugge in the Belgian Pro League, but they made it far harder than it needed to be. Two penalties, a VAR intervention, and a Cercle side that dominated possession but couldn't convert their chances tell the story.

Sporting Charleroi took all three points at Zulte-Waregem thanks to a Jakob Napoleon Romsaas goal on 29 minutes, as the hosts squandered chance after chance in a maddening afternoon for the home side.

Cercle Brugge snatched a stoppage-time equaliser through Krys Kouassi's penalty to deny OH Leuven a first win of their recent Belgian Pro League run, finishing 1-1 in a bad-tempered match that ended with cards flying and a VAR check in added time.

Sporting Charleroi made it four wins from five in the Belgian Pro League with a convincing 3-1 victory at KV Kortrijk, a side that has now conceded six goals without reply in their two previous outings and looks badly short of the basics.

Lommel SK claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Cercle Brugge, with Tom Reyners' 61st-minute finish proving the difference as the hosts extended their winless run to five matches in the Belgian Pro League.

Gent claimed all three points at Cercle Brugge thanks to Emmanuel Kakou's own goal in the 21st minute, with the hosts unable to convert their superior possession into a leveller. Connor Maguire gives his verdict on a damning afternoon for Cercle.

Standard Liège host Sporting Charleroi on Sunday in a Belgian Pro League fixture that has genuine bite. Both sides are in form, the head-to-head is tight, and Charleroi have already beaten Standard this year.

Cercle Brugge head into Saturday's home fixture without a win in their last five Belgian Pro League matches, and Anderlecht arrive having kept four clean sheets in their last five. Something has to give.