Harelbeke vs Kortrijk

The clock had just ticked past 70 minutes when Harelbeke struck. With Kortrijk yet to truly test the home goalkeeper from open play despite their territorial advantage, a single lapse in concentration at the back was all the lower-league side needed. The goal arrived against the balance of the match — the provider data shows Kortrijk won nine corners to Harelbeke's five — and the visitors could not muster a response.

No official man-of-the-match was named for this friendly, but the Harelbeke goalscorer (the scorer's name was not published in match reports at the time of writing) deserves the credit for a composed finish that separated the sides. The Harelbeke defence collectively held firm against a Kortrijk attack that had scored 16 goals across their four previous pre-season friendlies (against KFC Marke, KWSC Lauwe, KV Diksmuide Oostende and Club Brugge).

For Kortrijk, Liam De Smet and Brecht Dejaegere — both named in the matchday squad — were among the more experienced figures trying to orchestrate from midfield, but they could not unlock a disciplined Harelbeke backline.

Kortrijk's 9–5 corner count reflects their territorial dominance, yet the lack of a goal from those set pieces is a concern. The match was played on the same day Kortrijk also fielded a separate XI against French side Valenciennes (a 1–1 draw where Van Landschoot scored), confirming that head coach Yves Vanderhaeghe split his squad across two simultaneous friendlies — a common pre-season practice that explains the disjointedness in attack.

This was Kortrijk's first defeat of pre-season 2026/27, following wins over KFC Marke (4–1, 17 June), KWSC Lauwe (6–0, 20 June), KV Diksmuide Oostende (5–1, 27 June) and a 4–2 loss to Jupiler Pro League side Club Brugge (4 July). The result against Harelbeke is a wake-up call as Kortrijk prepare for their return to the Belgian top flight after winning promotion as runners-up in the Challenger Pro League. They also drew 1–1 with Valenciennes on the same day.

Harelbeke, competing in the lower regional divisions of Belgian football, will take considerable confidence from holding their own — and beating — a professional side.

A pre-season friendly result that means more to the winners than the losers. Kortrijk's squad rotation across two games on the same day explains the lack of cohesion, but Harelbeke's discipline and efficiency in front of goal earned them a fully deserved upset. The Challenger Pro League runners-up will want sharper finishing before the Jupiler Pro League season begins.