Excelsior Virton vs Sporting Hasselt 3-4

Sporting Hasselt won 4-3 at Excelsior Virton after a late turnaround from 2-2. Javan Ngoyi sealed it with his second of the match in stoppage time.

Excelsior Virton struck first in the 6th minute when Abdelsamad Hachem finished from Tyron Tormin’s assist for 1-0. Ngoyi equalised on 10 minutes, then Hachem restored Virton’s lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after VAR first ruled out a Paul Wade penalty on 43 minutes and then confirmed one for Tyron Tormin on 45+6 minutes. Virton led 2-1 at the break.

Lucas Eric Vankerkhoven’s own goal on 60 minutes brought Sporting level, and the visitors then made the changes that mattered. Both sides made one switch on 61 minutes, Sporting changed again on 69, Virton made two changes on 75 and Sporting made two on 76. Siebe Van Keymolen, who had come on in the 61st minute, put Sporting 3-2 ahead on 87 minutes from Wilson Da Costa’s assist, with Da Costa having come on in the 69th minute. Livio Milts made it 4-2 on 88 minutes from Ngoyi’s assist, and Ngoyi then added his second of the match three minutes into stoppage time. Abdelsamad Hachem went off for Marks Inchaud in stoppage time for Virton.

The numbers backed a tight match. Sporting Hasselt had 57% possession and 562 passes to Virton’s 439, while Virton finished with 3.31 expected goals to 2.24. Hasselt had more shots, 22 to 19, and more on target, 10 to 6, plus more corners, 7 to 4, and more saves, 6 to 4. Virton had no offsides, while Hasselt had 4, and the visitors also committed more fouls, 18 to 10.

Sporting Hasselt were booked five times, with Loic Masscho on 33 minutes, Andres Labie on 44, Cheick Thiam on 45+5, Livio Milts on 58 and Javan Ngoyi on 90+3. Excelsior Virton had one yellow card, for Aliou Dembele on 69 minutes. There were no red cards.