Anderlecht manager Vítor Bruno accepted full responsibility for the painful 3-0 league defeat at Union SG. The match at Dudenpark on Saturday, 30 August 2026, dashed hopes of building momentum after European qualification just days earlier.
The loss leaves Anderlecht stuck in 10th place in the Jupiler Pro League, with only 3 points from two matches. The team has scored 2 goals and conceded 2, resulting in a goal difference of zero. The gap to leaders Charleroi has now widened to 9 points.
Immediately after the final whistle, Vítor Bruno addressed the disgruntled supporters. "This loss is my fault," declared the coach, who was accompanied by his assistant Vitor Gouveia. He asked the fans to applaud his players but shouldered all the blame himself. Bruno then sat staring into space on the bench for several minutes, where Union president Alex Muzio offered him a consoling pat on the shoulder.
In his analysis, Bruno pointed to a lack of aggression and too much respect for the opponent. "Maybe my pre-match message wasn't clear," he admitted. He also questioned whether Biondic's 2-0 goal just before halftime was legitimate. "Was it a foul or not? I wonder, I think Llansana is pulled by the shirt," said Bruno, noting that as a newcomer to Belgium he is still learning the boundaries of the game.
This derby was seen as a potential milestone in Anderlecht's resurgence. Chairman Michael Verschueren was curious if his team could finally measure up to the neighbours from Sint-Gillis. Instead, the result extended an old, negative streak. Anderlecht has now failed to win in ten consecutive league visits to Dudenpark since Union returned to the top flight.
The league start has been poor: a laboured victory against La Louvière was followed by zero points from the next two games. The 2-0 goal just before the break proved to be the death blow, with a third Union goal sealing the outcome. The coach acknowledged his team had only one day to prepare, compared to a full week for Union.
The immediate focus now shifts to the next fixture. On Thursday, Anderlecht hosts KV Kortrijk at Lotto Park, a chance for redemption. That is followed by a trip to face Racing Genk. Bruno promised a sober, in-depth analysis and said he would draw conclusions for those encounters. He stressed the team cannot rely on talent alone to compete at this level.
While Bruno deserves credit for guiding the club to the Europa League league phase, the need for league points is high. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures page. The current standings show there is work to do to close the gap.
With the defeat, the club remains lodged in the lower half of the table. The statistics on our stats page reflect the difficult start. The next league home game isn't until 19 September against Zulte Waregem, who currently sit fourth. Until then, Anderlecht must pick up points in the cup match and against Genk to restore confidence. The analysis by Bruno and his staff in the coming days is critical for the course of this early season phase.
