Gent vs KV Mechelen

KAA Gent powered past KV Mechelen 3-1 at the Ghelamco Arena to burst into the top six with two matchdays left. Teenage debutant Ibrahima Cissé stole the headlines, coming off the bench to seal a crucial victory. Max Dean opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 31 minutes after Mory Konaté's reckless challenge. Leonardo Da Silva Lopes doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time with a tidy finish from a corner. Myron van Brederode pulled one back from a sharp angle on 69 minutes to give Mechelen hope. But 18-year-old Cissé, on as an early sub for the injured Wilfried Kanga, hammered home in the 83rd minute on his senior debut to kill the game. The win lifts Gent into sixth and the final Champions' Play-off spot, leapfrogging Genk. For KV Mechelen, their 15-year wait for Play-off 1 is now in serious jeopardy with Club Brugge and Anderlecht still to come.