Anderlecht landmark ensures celebrations

Mbark Boussoufa fired RSC Anderlecht's 500th goal in UEFA competition to defeat FC Timişoara and move through to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 from Group A, subject to NK Dinamo Zagreb's appeal against a three-point deduction (click here for details).

Deserved victory
Having played out a goalless stalemate in Romania two weeks ago, Anderlecht clinched a deserved victory to keep themselves level with AFC Ajax at the section summit. They are six points clear of Timişoara and eight in front of 2 December visitors Dinamo as things stand. They found the going tough but went ahead through Matías Suárez's 30th-minute penalty and clinched the points courtesy of Boussoufa 21 minutes from time, after Winston Parks had levelled for Timişoara, with susbtitute Jonathan Legear chipping in a late third.

Suárez penalty
Early failure to retain possession meant chances remained scarce, with Anderlecht's opponents looking more likely to force an opening thanks to the pace of Parks and Gheorghe Bucur. At the other end, the stern attentions of the Timişoara rearguard made life difficult for the home side until Florin Maxim's challenge on Suárez was adjudged to be too stern. The Argentinian forward picked himself up and rolled the resultant penalty to the left of Costel Pantilimon.

Parks header
Timişoara came out eager to state their case after the break and levelled the scores within six minutes, Parks outjumping Olivier Deschacht to head in Artavazd Karamyan's corner and notch his side's first goal of the group stage. That shook Les Mauves et Blancs, but they quickly raised their tempo and went back ahead with their own landmark effort, a plunging header from Boussoufa to turn in Legear's centre from the right. The substitute then contributed his own sublime effort in added time, lobbing Pantilimon from the edge of the area.