Mechelen 0-4 Westerlo: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
Belgian Pro League Matchday 5 · Saturday 5 September 2026 · Achter de Kazerne, Mechelen · referee L. D'hondt · full time
Full time: Mechelen 0-4 Westerlo
Westerlo won 4-0 away at Mechelen in Belgian Pro League Matchday 5 on Saturday 5 September 2026. The goals: Isa Sakamoto 7', Shunsuke Saito 27', Shunsuke Saito 67', Nikola Storm 88'.
How Westerlo won it
Isa Sakamoto put Westerlo ahead in the 7th minute, set up by Lasse Flø. Shunsuke Saito made it 0-2 to Westerlo in the 27th minute, set up by Cameron Congreve. Shunsuke Saito made it 0-3 to Westerlo in the 67th minute, set up by Cameron Congreve. Nikola Storm made it 0-4 to Westerlo in the 88th minute, set up by Isa Sakamoto.
It was 0-2 at half-time.
Shunsuke Saito scored twice.
The referee, L. D'hondt, showed 5 yellow cards: 3 to Mechelen and 2 to Westerlo.
Mechelen: F. Vanderbiest, 3-4-2-1 · Westerlo: I. Charai, 4-2-3-1.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 2.16 for Mechelen and 0.61 for Westerlo.
Mechelen scored about 2.2 fewer than their chances were worth: poor finishing, or a goalkeeper at his best.
Westerlo made more of their chances than the xG suggests, by about 3.4 goals.
Mechelen created the better chances, 2.16 xG to 0.61, and still lost. On chances alone, the result could easily have gone the other way.
Mechelen had 1 shot on target, Westerlo 6.
Mechelen had 55% of the ball, but Westerlo took the points.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Mechelen came into it with 8 Belgian Pro League matches played, scoring 1.1 and conceding 2.1 a match, with 1.20 expected goals for and 1.62 against, and had won 13% of their matches.
Westerlo came into it with 9 Belgian Pro League matches played, scoring 2.7 and conceding 2.3 a match, with 1.76 expected goals for and 1.76 against, and had won 44% of their matches.
Mechelen vs Westerlo: the match in numbers
| Mechelen | Match statistics | Westerlo |
|---|---|---|
| 55% | Ball possession | 45% |
| 2.16 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.61 |
| 8 | Total shots | 21 |
| 1 | Shots on target | 6 |
| 2 | Big chances | 5 |
| 439 | Total passes | 352 |
| 78% | Pass accuracy | 74% |
| 5 | Corners | 6 |
| 15 | Fouls | 18 |
| 2 | Offsides | 1 |
| 18 | Tackles | 23 |
| 1 | Saves | 2 |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 2 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Shunsuke Saito (Westerlo), rated 8.5 by Sportmonks, with 2 goals.
Mechelen
- Fredrik Hammar 7.4
- Dennis Praet 7.2
- Myron van Brederode 6.8
- Mike Eerdhuijzen 6.7
- Adeshina Ayodele 6.6
Westerlo
- Shunsuke Saito 8.5 2 goals
- Cameron Congreve 8.4 2 assists
- Isa Sakamoto 8.0 1 goal, 1 assist
- Lasse Flø 8.0 1 assist
- Ibrahim Fofana 7.7
The lowest-rated starter was Nacho Miras at 6.0. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Mechelen: Mechelen vs Genk Saturday 31 October 2026 · Belgian Pro League
- Westerlo: Anderlecht vs Westerlo Saturday 31 October 2026 · Belgian Pro League
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Mechelen vs Westerlo
What was the score in Mechelen vs Westerlo?
Mechelen 0-4 Westerlo (half-time 0-2), Belgian Pro League, Saturday 5 September 2026.
Who scored in Mechelen vs Westerlo?
Isa Sakamoto 7', Shunsuke Saito 27', Shunsuke Saito 67', Nikola Storm 88'.
Did Moneyball predict Mechelen vs Westerlo correctly?
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Who was man of the match in Mechelen vs Westerlo?
Shunsuke Saito, rated 8.5 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Mechelen vs Westerlo?
L. D'hondt.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball Odds writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
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