Cercle Brugge and Sint-Truidense served up a six-goal thriller in the Belgian Pro League, with the sides ultimately sharing a breathless 3-3 draw at the Jan Breydel Stadium. The visitors twice held the lead, yet Cercle's character ensured the points were split in a contest full of attacking intent, defensive lapses, and late drama.

A wild night in Bruges

In front of a lively crowd, Sint-Truidense took the early initiative with a well-worked move in the 12th minute, slotting calmly past the home goalkeeper. Cercle responded well but found themselves trailing again after a second away strike against the run of play. The home side pulled one back before the interval, tapping in from close range after a goalmouth scramble, leaving the match finely poised at halftime.

The second half continued at a frantic tempo. Cercle Brugge finally drew level midway through the half from a set piece, rising highest to power a header into the corner. But the visitors refused to fade, restoring their advantage with a clinical counter-attack to make it 3-2 with twenty minutes remaining. Cercle's pressure eventually paid off in the 83rd minute, when a speculative long-range effort was deflected past the goalkeeper to secure a share of the spoils.

Key takeaways

The result keeps both teams mid-table in the early Pro League standings, but the entertainment value far exceeded the tactical perfection. Cercle will lament sloppy defending on the counter, while Sint-Truidense might feel they let a famous away win slip. For neutrals, however, this was a perfect advertisement for Belgian football: non-stop action, relentless pressing, and attacking bravery until the final whistle.