Anderlecht and AS Monaco have played out a 1-1 draw in their Europa League Group J clash at the Constant Vanden Stock.
The hosts took the lead through Guillaume Gillet, who skilfully volleyed home Dennis Praet's pinpoint cross 11 minutes into the game.
With just five minutes to go, however, Lacina Traore salvaged a point for the Ligue 1 outfit when he was on hand to nod a rebounded Stephan El Shaarawy shot into the net.
Read below to find out how Sports Mole covered the action in Brussels.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Europa League Group J clash between Anderlecht and Monaco!
Both of these clubs played in the Champions League last term, with Monaco reaching the quarter-finals, but they come head to head in European competition - in Europa League rather than Champions League - for the first time.
Here are the team news...
ANDERLECHT STARTING XI: Proto; Najar, Dendoncker, Deschacht, Obradovic; Gillet, Tielemans, Defour; Praet, Suarez, Okaka
MONACO STARTING XI: Subasic; Coentrao, Raggi, Wallace, Elderson, Fabinho; A Toure, Moutinho, Silva, Pasalic; Cavaleiro
ANDERLECHT SUBS: Roef, Nuytinck, Heylen, Acheampong, Conte, Leya, Ezekiel
MONACO SUBS: Nardi, Bakayoko, L Traore, Lemar, Carrillo, A Traore, El Shaarawy
Anderlecht have made one change from their goalless draw against Genk at the weekend, as Guillaume Gillet replaces the injured Kara Mbodj at the back, while Matias Suarez plays despite a knee complaint.
Three changes, meanwhile, for Monaco since their 1-0 win in Corsica on Sunday. Real Madrid loanee Fabio Coentrao is in their starting lineup for the first time since he completed his move to Southern France. He has been joined in the team by fellow Portugal international Joao Moutinho, who has spent the previous four weeks on the sidelines with an ankle complaint.
Defender Wallace completes the trio of changes for the Principality side, with Ricardo Carvalho, Adama Traore and Guido Carrillo the men to make way.
Anderlecht haven't exactly got stunning precedent against French opposition - they are without a win in their last five encounters with Ligue 1 sides, which includes a 5-0 2013 loss to Paris Saint-Germain – their equal-worst European home result to date.
Although you can say that the Belgian side haven't got a particularly decent recent record in Europe altogether - they have won just one of their last eight European home matches, losing six.
Meanwhile Monaco's four games against Belgian sides have ended in three draws and a defeat, with 12 goals scored in those fixtures – an average of three per game.
In additional good reading for fans of the Ligue 1 side, they scored just seven goals in their ten-game voyage to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last season, but have already scored ten in four qualifiers this season. With the talent at their disposal, they may just be a force to be reckoned in this campaign.
Monaco's Joao Moutinho makes his 100th UEFA club competition appearance in the Anderlecht game, while teammate and countryman Ricardo Carvalho starts this game on 100 European appearances. Great achievements for both players!
PREDICTION: Just five minutes until kickoff, so I shall make my prediction - despite Anderlecht having made a strong start to the league and being at home, I reckon Monaco will have too much for their opponents, and will claim a straightforward 2-0 win at the Constant Vanden Stock.
KICKOFF: The players have made their way onto the pitch, formalities out of the way, and Monaco get us underway in Brussels, attacking from right to left.
CHANCE! And the first effort of the night falls to Steven Defour for the hosts, who picks up Youri Tielemans's ball and rifles an effort goalwards from outside the box, but it's too high.
Now the Belgians push forward on another swift attack, this time through Suarez on the left wing, but he loops a cross straight into the hands of Subasic.
Monaco's turn to threaten now as Coentrao makes his way down the left wing, but his curling cross is poor and bounces harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
The hosts continue to press forward as Cavaleiro is caught offside from Coentrao's probing throughball. Moments later a similar exchange between Moutinho and Toure is met with the exact same outcome.
GOAL! ANDERLECHT 1-0 MONACO (GUILLAUME GILLET)
Despite Monaco having the best of it in the last few minutes, it is Anderlecht who take the lead! Praet is the key man here, marauding down the left, cutting inside and curling a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Gillet volleys home with great aplomb! First blood to the hosts!
CHANCE! Now Anderlecht are fully into this game and continue to press, with Najar charging down the right flank before setting up Suarez, but the Argentine fails to connect with the ball.
Monaco earn themselves a corner, but the hosts deal with it well and break through Deschacht. The defender tries to find Okaka with a long throughball but it's poorly struck and easily cut out by Wallace.
The pitchside photographers getting their key photos in to the clubs very quickly - Anderlecht fans must have enjoyed that!
#RSCA 1-0 AS Monaco | Guillaume Gillet scoring against AS Monaco #UEL #ANDASM pic.twitter.com/VK53lJ6fhF
— RSC Anderlecht (@rscanderlecht) September 17, 2015
CHANCE! Monaco once again exploiting the flanks through Silva, going down the right before sending another great cross into the box, but the ball is just a little too far ahead for Fabinho to prod that home!
Halfway through the first period and Monaco have been the better side in terms of possession and attacking intent, but are finding it increasingly hard to breach the determined Anderlecht defence, who have looked excellent so far.
Anderlecht are proving apt on the counter, however. Okaka once again instigates a swift break, playing the ball over to Najar on the right, but Wallace is just about able to meet his resulting cross before it can find Suarez in front of goal.
CHANCE! What a great save by Proto! The Anderlecht defence fail to clear their lines following Moutinho's harrying cross, allowing Coentrao to let rip from 25 yards out, but the Belgian stopper leaps and pulls off a fine diving stop!
Monaco win a free kick 30 yards out after Moutinho is pulled back from behind by Gillet. Coentrao whips the ball towards Raggi but Dendoncker manages to clear.
Leonardo Jardim's charges have enjoyed nearly two thirds of possession here, but are lacking that incisiveness in the final third to make it count.
The visitors are also finding themselves prone to breaks against Anderlecht - Tielemans immediately takes advantage of Elderson's poor positioning to charge forward, but his intended cross for Okaka is easily cut out by Raggi on the edge of the penalty area.
CHANCE! Coentrao finds himself in plenty of space on the left, allowing him all the time of day to whip a fine cross into the box, but Cavaleiro prods the ball into the side netting from close range.
CHANCE! Monaco win another free kick, which Moutinho curls into the box, but Raggi is only able to send his headed effort looping over the bar and onto the roof of the net. Less than 10 minutes to go and the visitors really need to step it up if they are to level proceedings before the break.
CHANCE! Fabinho cuts inside from the right before whipping a cross into the middle of the Anderlecht area. The ball eventually falls to Silva as the home defence are caught napping, but it seems to take him by surprise and he ends up fluffing his hurried shot into the hands of Proto. They're getting closer, are the visitors!
BOOKING: First yellow of the game goes to Suarez, who clumsily clatters into Fabinho from behind.
CHANCE! And once again Anderlecht show how good they are on the break - Tielemans sets up Praet, who marauds down the right wing and weaves past Coentrao with ease before setting up Okaka. The striker goes on to rifle wide of goal - could and should have been two for the hosts!
BOOKING: Elderson now goes into referee's book after blocking Okaka's run down the flank. The resulting free kick, however, comes to nothing as the man in the middle blows his whistle after a minute of stoppage time.
HALF TIME: ANDERLECHT 1-0 MONACO
So it's half time at the Constant Vanden Stock and Anderlecht are leading Monaco by a goal to nil. The goal came from Gillet, who was perfectly positioned to smash home Praet's sumptuous cross from the left after 11 minutes played.
Monaco have dominated possession and carved out a number of decent enough chances but they found it difficult against a well organised and marshalled home defence - Besnik Hasi's charges have also launched a number of swift breaks and counterattacks which have left the Monaco back line in disarray.
We have an exciting second half lined up - will Jardim change his tactics and formation to allow for deeper penetration into the Anderlecht defence, and will be able to shore up the leaky flanks which the hosts have been exploiting time and time again? Or can the Belgians go on to record an impressive first win in Europe - and only their second in nine?
Here's a shot of Guillaume Gillet celebrating his first-half goal - will Anderlecht be celebrating in front of their faithful fans come the final whistle? Stay tuned to Sports Mole to find out!
© Getty Images
Club Brugge, Belgian league rivals of Anderlecht, were in action earlier today in the Europa League - and fans of the Brussels outfit will surely be delighted to know that they were thrashed 5-0 away at Napoli.
As for Monaco's league opponents, they've fared a bit better - Bordeaux drew 1-1 with Liverpool, while Marseille thrashed Groningen 3-0 in the Netherlands.
KICKOFF: We're underway again in Brussels and there's been a change for the visitors - Mario Pasalic makes way for Lacina Traore.
Traore makes an immediate impact as he battles with Dendoncker on the left before forcing a corner with a low cross that deflects off a defender and out. Dendoncker appears to have incurred an injury and makes his way off the pitch for treatment.
Coentrao's corner lands to the feet of Silva, but the referee stops play for an infringement. Anderlecht kick on and head straight down the pitch as Praet darts into the right-hand side of the opposition penalty area, but Wallace manages to stop the ball from reaching Gillet.
CHANCE! Anderlecht are determined to go for a second here as a corner finds its way to the far end of the penalty area, where it finds Deschacht. He lays the ball off to Tielemans, who drives just wide of the near post!
Okaka drives forward again, getting the better of Elderson before sending a ball towards the back post, but there's nobody there to meet it and ends up bobbling out of play.
CHANCE! It's all Anderlecht at the minute as Wallace completely misses Suarez's advance forward, the Argentine ghosting past him and rifling an effort towards the bottom left-hand corner of the net - inches wide!
Suarez, Okaka, and Praet combine well down the flank and get the ball over to Obradovic, but the Serbian's first-time shot is deflected out for a corner by the outstretched foot of Traore.
SUBSTITUTION: Monaco make their second chance of the evening, with Elderson making way for Stephan El Shaarawy.
CHANCE! An almost immediate impact from El Shaarawy as Traore breaks through the centre of the Anderlecht midfield before teeing up the Italian, who swivels on the edge of the penalty area and stings the palms of Proto with a dangerous shot.
BOOKING: Back come the hosts, however, whose ability to break at a whim has been nothing short of superb tonight. First Praet forces a save out of Praet, before another counter moments later sees Suarez brought down by Fabinho, who earns a yellow for his troubles.
BOOKING: Now it's Fabinho who finds himself on the receiving end of a foul, as Obradovic brings him down and receives a booking as a result.
Fabinho once again clashes with an opposition player, this time Suarez, and the outcome is that the 21-year-old is hurt and gingerly limps off the pitch to receive further medical treatment. It looks as if he should be able to continue though.
CHANCE! Traore meets a splendid cross on the edge of the six-yard box and sends the ball towards the left post, but Proto makes a superb diving save to keep it out.
But back come Anderlecht! Okaka skins Wallace on the right flank before attempting a cross, but it sails harmlessly over the bar.
SUBSTITUTIONS: One for each side as the hosts see Matias Suarez come off for Frank Acheampong, while Monaco swap Ivan Cavaleiro for Thomas Lemar.
BOOKING: The pace of the game has slowed down considerably, with a lot of challenges punctuating the action - Defour is now shown a yellow for an infringement on Lemar.
Toure's cross is headed out by Dendoncker, and from the resulting corner, the ball is flung towards the back post for Okaka, who heads into the hands of Proto.
BOOKING: The referee once again has to get his little book out as Acheampong is cynically shoulder-barged by Wallace.
SUBSTITUTION: Steven Defour comes off, with Michael Heylen coming on in his place.
GOAL! ANDERLECHT 1-1 MONACO (LACINA TRAORE)
After being behind for the majority of the game, and with just five minutes left to play, Monaco have succeeded in getting back on level terms as Shaarawy's shot is parried by Proto before Traore nods the rebound into the net from close range!
Back come the hosts in a desperate bid to edge their noses back in front, Okaka aiming a low effort down the middle from range, but Subasic holds onto the ball with ease.
SUBSTITUTION: The final change of the game sees Youri Tielemans replaced by Imoh Ezekiel for the hosts.
Ezekiel makes his way down the left wing before being clattered by Raggi, but much to the frustration of the home fans, the referee doesn't award a free kick like they would have wanted. Late controversy here at the Constant Vanden Stock as four minutes of stoppage time are indicated.
CHANCE! How much will Anderlecht rue that miss?! Praet forces a save from Subasic, then Ezekiel finds himself in acres of space inside the Monaco box, but he proceeds to skew his shot well wide of goal!
CHANCE! Monaco within a whisker of stealing the win as Coentrao's delivery from the edge of the home box falls to the unmarked Toure, but the defender fluffs his lines and aims the ball straight at Proto!
FULL TIME: ANDERLECHT 1-1 MONACO
The referee blows his whistle and an exciting affair at the Constant Vanden Stock finishes all square. Anderlecht took the lead 11 minutes in through Guillaume Gillet and rode out the Monaco storm to take their one-goal advantage into the break, but despite stepping it up in the second half, Lacina Traore struck back with five minutes left to give the visitors a share of the spoils.
So as it stands in Group J after the first games, Tottenham Hotspur top the table thanks to a 3-1 win over Qarabag FK, who sit bottom, while Anderlecht and Monaco occupy the middle berths. Thanks for following the game, don't forget to remain on Sports Mole for all the latest reactions and match reports - including the one from this very game. All the best and enjoy the rest of your day!
