RAAL La Louvière vs Rochefort

The match was effectively decided inside the opening 16 minutes. Rochefort's two quick-fire goals — a Vanhecke rocket followed by Azevedo's close-range finish — gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before RAAL had settled into any rhythm. Still's squad, still carrying a heavy training load, lacked the sharpness and coordination to respond.

Thomas Vanhecke (Rochefort): Scored the opener against his former club and set the tone for Rochefort's dominant first half.

Nuno Azevedo-Janelas (Rochefort): Added the second goal two minutes later, also against his former side, effectively ending the contest inside the first quarter-hour.

Tiago Pereira Cardoso (RAAL La Louvière): The only RAAL player to feature for the full 90 minutes. Kept the score from growing further in the second half.

Axel Lauwrensens (Rochefort): Clinched the win with a well-taken third goal just before half-time.

RAAL's 0-3 scoreline at half-time tells the story of a side still finding its legs. The two-week pre-season window meant this was a fitness-building exercise rather than a competitive fixture, and Still's decision to rotate all 10 outfield players at the break confirmed the priority was minutes in legs rather than the result. The second-half improvement — described by the club as showing "a completely different face" — suggests the margin was more about conditioning than a gulf in quality. RAAL failed to register a goal across the 90 minutes despite creating several second-half chances.

This was RAAL's first pre-season friendly under Edward Still, who took charge ahead of the 2026-27 Jupiler Pro League season. The heavy rotation means few conclusions can be drawn about the preferred starting XI. Several senior players — including Belkheir, Faye, Okou, Lamego, Gueulette, Ito, and goalkeepers Peano and De Schrevel — did not feature at all, per DH Les Sports+.

RAAL's next pre-season fixture is away at Lokeren on Saturday 11 July 2026. Rochefort, also preparing for their National Division 1 season, will look to build on a sharp and efficient opening performance.

A pre-season friendly result that carries limited significance beyond fitness. The 0-3 scoreline reflected RAAL's early stage of preparation and the deliberate squad rotation. Still will have learned more about his squad depth than the scoreline suggests, though the porous first-half display gives him clear areas to address before the competitive season begins.