Antwerp 6 - 0 Deportivo (394158903)

2307 spectators had come to Antwerp Nights Arena this cloudy day. Joan Gil-Robles was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Gheorghe Costache and Gunaakar Attimarad. Antwerp started off with a 5-4-1 lineup. The following players had been chosen: Daoust - Olmedo, Obar, Lemmens, Van de Vorst, Konings - Dumortier, Moreels, Lybaert, Deserti - Hanoulle.

Deportivo tactics involved an interesting 3-4-3 combination. Lineup: Menzani - Pastonchi, Schilirò, Kyhlerberg - Shllaki, Tiribocchi, Gurgone, Dalmo - Thorblad, Caruana, Baronio.

Pressing was the tactic of the day for Deportivo. F. Dumortier could have put Antwerp into the lead after 4 minutes, but the free kick went just wide. F. Obar received some harsh words from his coach after he acted foolishly 9 minutes into the match, probably out of lack of experience, and almost let an opponent score. Many thought K. Hanoulle ought to have been awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the game, as he went down trying to dribble around P. Menzani after a determined run through the middle. S. Dalmo had a good try after 18 minutes, coming in on a fine move from the left, but the ball went wide. Deportivo's S. Dalmo got himself booked for a foul. The visitors' central defence should have had no trouble clearing the pass to A. Deserti, but the Antwerp player managed to shrug them off and fired a low shot past the keeper to give his team the lead. 1 - 0! Having been awarded a free kick in an awkward position after 24 minutes, Antwerp did not go for a shot but instead fired the ball hard into the 6 yard box. After a brief tussle with his marker, K. Hanoulle was able to power the ball past the keeper to make the score 2 - 0. With 25 minutes played, M. Kyhlerberg of Deportivo fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee was unimpressed, and booked him for diving. It was 2 - 0 at the break. Antwerp enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 62 percent of possession.

Antwerp solidified their lead at the 50 minute mark, as A. Deserti dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 3 - 0. Confident in their lead, Antwerp's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. Antwerp's F. Obar had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, after twisting his ankle with 52 minutes having been played. J. Geukens was the replacement. Antwerp increased the lead as D. Olmedo struck to make the score 4 - 0 after an attack from the left left him unmarked in front of the keeper. The visitors got a chance to pulling one back after 68 minutes, due to a defensive blunder leaving A. Thorblad completely unmarked. His strike was pathetic though, easy prey for the home side's keeper. Things were going to get worse for the visitors. A. Deserti squirmed through their central defence after 69 minutes, increasing the lead to 5 - 0. That was his third goal of the match - a hat trick for A. Deserti. With 75 minutes played, Antwerp put themselves up 6 - 0 when the visiting defenders lost the ball to W. Lemmens, who came up from the left and proceeded to coolly round the keeper and knock the ball home. Possession in this half belonged to Antwerp, who controlled the ball 63 percent of the time.

Antwerp's best player was J. Lybaert. F. Moreels was a disappointment, however. The most dominating Deportivo player was without a doubt A. Thorblad. However, L. Pastonchi made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 6 - 0.