AA Gent has extended its perfect start to the Jupiler Pro League season with a 1-0 victory over OH Leuven. The Buffaloes won at the Planet Group Arena on September 3 thanks to a second-half goal from Tiago Araújo, maintaining an impressive record of 12 wins from 12 league matches.

How did the match against OH Leuven unfold?

The closely contested match was decided only after the break. Tiago Araújo broke the deadlock, scoring the only goal of the evening. After taking the lead, however, Gent relinquished the initiative, a point criticized post-match by coach Rik De Mil. The Gent side received yellow cards for Siebe Van der Heyden in the 65th minute and for Óscar Gil in the 74th minute. OH Leuven's Wouter George was also booked in the 64th minute. Coach De Mil made a substitution in that phase, with Wilson leaving the pitch for Matties Volckaert. The match eventually ran into added time at the end of the second half.

What did coach Rik De Mil say after the win?

While satisfied with the three points and defensive solidity, the Gent manager was not fully convinced. He stated his team dropped back too much after going 1-0 up. "We zijn niet meer op zoek gegaan naar die 2-0. We kropen achteruit. Het was controleren zonder drang om een tweede te maken." Rik De Mil told reporters from HLN Voetbal. The coach emphasized this was a key learning moment for his squad. "We are good at keeping the clean sheet, but you can't sustain this every match. This is a learning moment." he added.

Where does Gent currently stand in the league?

The victory means Gent maintains its perfect run of twelve consecutive wins, the club's best season start in 25 years. In the current Jupiler Pro League standings, which you can follow on our standings page, Gent occupies fourth place. They have 9 points from 3 games, with a goal tally of 6 for and 2 against, giving them a +4 goal difference. The Buffaloes currently trail leaders Charleroi by three points. Their recent form shows three wins in a row.

What is Gent's next assignment?

Rik De Mil's team has little time to rest on this success. The next league fixture is already scheduled for September 6, 2026. Gent will then travel to the Jan Breydel Stadium for an away match against Cercle Brugge. Cercle Brugge currently sits thirteenth in the table. All upcoming matches can be found in the club's fixtures. The coming weeks will reveal if Gent can extend its unique streak and close the gap on the leaders.