Charleroi vs Cercle Brugge KSV

Charleroi made it six wins from seven league games with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Cercle Brugge KSV, cruising into a two-goal cushion before having to survive a nervy finish. The home side's fast start set the tone, and even a spirited response from the visitors wasn't enough to derail their charge up the table. Freddy Mbemba opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Aurélien Scheidler doubled the lead ten minutes later. Cercle Brugge hit back through Dante Vanzeir in the 30th minute to make it 2-1 at the break. The second half turned on two penalties: Scheidler converted from the spot in the 61st minute after a foul on Nzita, before Steve Ngoura pulled one back for the visitors in the 73rd following a VAR review. No red cards were shown, though Charleroi picked up a handful of bookings as they held on. The win keeps Charleroi in second place with 18 points, trailing only league leaders Gent, and cements their status as one of the league's early surprise packages. For Cercle Brugge KSV, the defeat leaves them bottom of the table with just three points and still searching for their first win of the campaign.