Patro Eisden vs St. Truiden

STVV dominated possession from the outset at the Patrostadion, where entry was free for supporters. The Kanaries' first real incision came on 30 minutes when Japanese midfielder Kaito Matsuzawa found the net to make it 0-1 — a composed finish that rewarded STVV's early territorial superiority.

Patro Eisden, who lost star forward Milan Robberechts to Club Brugge earlier this month, struggled to create clear openings against a well-drilled STVV backline. The visitors doubled their lead in the 41st minute when Ilias Sebaoui converted from the penalty spot after a foul deemed questionable by the home support. The 0-2 scoreline at the interval reflected STVV's efficiency rather than total dominance.

The second half followed a similar pattern. STVV head coach Frédéric De Meyer had made wholesale changes at the break — 10 of the 11 starters were replaced — but the rhythm barely dipped. Isaias Delpupo, one of the half-time introductions, made it 0-3 in the 50th minute with a well-taken finish. Another substitute, young talent Matice Vandegaer, completed the scoring on 65 minutes.

Sebaoui's penalty on 41 minutes. Patro Eisden had absorbed the first 40 minutes reasonably well, holding STVV to a single goal. The spot-kick, awarded for a foul that Belgian media described as "discutable" (debatable), effectively killed the contest before half-time. Patro emerged from the dressing room at 0-2 down and never recovered.

Kaito Matsuzawa — The Japanese midfielder opened the scoring and set the tone. His movement between the lines caused persistent problems for the Patro defence. Player of the match.

Isaias Delpupo — Introduced at half-time, the Argentine forward scored within five minutes of his arrival and stretched the play throughout the second period.

Matice Vandegaer — The young Belgian added the fourth goal and showed lively movement after coming on in the second half.

Patro's midfield pair Renson and Masangu worked hard to stem the tide but were overrun after the break. Masangu was also booked.

The provider data records four goals from four different STVV players, with no assists logged — the absence of assist data is typical for friendly fixtures where detailed event tracking is less granular. STVV's goal sequence — 30', 41', 50', 65' — shows a team that accelerated after the interval, scoring twice within the first 20 minutes of the second half. The 0-2 half-time score gave De Meyer the freedom to rotate his entire outfield at the break, a luxury he exploited fully.

Patro Eisden registered no goals and their only spell of pressure came in the first half before the penalty changed the game's momentum. Three yellow cards were issued: Masangu (Patro), Mbalanda (STVV) and Pupe (STVV) in a clean contest.

For STVV, this is a third consecutive pre-season win and builds momentum ahead of their Jupiler Pro League opener on 8 August. Their next test is a step up in opposition: a trip to Swiss side FC Luzern on 18 July, followed by fixtures against RFC Liège (22 July), Helmond Sport (1 August) and AEK Athens (1 August) before the real season begins.

Patro Eisden, who compete in the Challenger Pro League, start their campaign a week later on 15 August. The Maasmechelen side are still integrating new signings — winger Modeste Duku was announced on 14 July — and face a few more friendlies to sharpen their edge before competitive action resumes.

A routine pre-season workout for STVV, who did exactly what a top-flight side should against a second-tier opponent: controlled the game, scored at well-spaced intervals, and gave minutes to a full squad. The 0-4 scoreline was a fair reflection of the gap in quality. Patro Eisden will take positives from the first 40 minutes but need to sharpen their final-third execution before the Challenger Pro League kicks off.