Drammeh double gives Standard first win in lively Walloon derby
Standard de Liège beat RAAL La Louvière 2-0 at Sclessin after substitute Salieu Drammeh scored twice in six second-half minutes, securing the Liège club’s first Jupiler Pro League victory of the season.
In 30 seconds
- Salieu Drammeh scored in the 68th and 73rd minutes after entering as a substitute.
- The Pro League recorded three clear chances for each club and 13 La Louvière shots to Standard’s 11.
- Standard moved to five points from three matches; La Louvière remained on zero.
- Yllan Okou received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Standard de claimed their first victory of the 2026-27 season on Friday, 21 August, beating RAAL 2-0 in Liège after substitute Salieu Drammeh transformed an open Walloon derby with two goals. The Pro League’s official match record places his strikes in the 68th and 73rd minutes, before La Louvière defender Yllan Okou was dismissed in added time.
The result lifted Vincent Euvrard’s Standard to five points from three matches, following draws with Cercle Brugge and KV Mechelen. For Belgium-based followers, the immediate significance is domestic rather than international: one of the country’s best-supported clubs has converted an encouraging but imperfect start into a first win, while Edward Still’s La Louvière remain without a point after three league games.
The 2-0 scoreline was more comfortable than much of the contest. The Pro League recorded three clear chances for each side, with La Louvière producing 13 shots to Standard’s 11. Matthieu Epolo had to stop early efforts from Mustapha Isah, while visiting goalkeeper Marcos Peano denied Dennis Eckert Ayensa after a defensive error. Bernard Nguene then headed wide when unmarked, leaving the entertaining derby goalless at half-time despite chances at both ends.
Standard gradually gained greater control without entirely subduing the visitors. Official league statistics show the Liège side completed 566 passes against La Louvière’s 310, but the Wolves continued to find openings and finished with five attempts on target. That balance explains why the match felt competitive long after Standard had established more possession: La Louvière’s direct attacks kept Epolo involved, even as the home side circulated the ball more patiently.
Euvrard’s decisive intervention came in the 62nd minute, when Drammeh entered the match. Six minutes later, according to the official match commentary, Nguene released him during a quick counterattack and the Gambian forward finished from the right side of the penalty area. Drammeh doubled the lead five minutes later with a left-footed shot from outside the box, giving Peano little chance and turning a finely balanced contest into Standard’s evening.
The performance offered two contrasting readings. Standard can reasonably point to their possession, three major chances and the impact of their bench as evidence of a developing side learning to decide close matches. La Louvière can counter that the two-goal margin obscured how often they threatened: the visitors matched Standard for clear opportunities and exceeded them in total shots, but lacked the finishing quality Drammeh supplied. Okou’s second yellow card in stoppage time compounded the defeat without determining it.
The fixture also carried a distinct regional character. Standard represent Liège and the industrial Meuse basin, while RAAL draw their identity from La Louvière in . This was therefore a Walloon derby in the broad footballing sense, although not the historically sharper Standard–Charleroi rivalry. The meeting connected two communities shaped by industrial history and strong local club identities, giving an early-season league match more emotional weight than the table alone suggested.
Where this is happening
View on map Liège →There is no meaningful EU-institutional dimension to the result, and treating proximity to Brussels as one would distort the story. Its broader importance lies instead in Belgian football’s competitive structure: established clubs such as Standard are under immediate pressure to turn support and tradition into results, while La Louvière must convert credible performances into points quickly enough to avoid being stranded near the bottom.
Standard’s official website lists an away match at OH Leuven on 29 August as their next league assignment. The question for Euvrard is whether Drammeh’s cameo earns him a larger role and whether Standard can retain their attacking threat away from Sclessin. For Still and La Louvière, the urgent task is clearer: preserve the chance creation seen in Liège, tighten the moments following turnovers and find a first result before an encouraging style becomes overshadowed by the standings.
What to do
For supporters, the immediate consequence is in the league table: Standard have five points after three matches, while La Louvière have none after three defeats. Fans assessing upcoming fixtures or fantasy-style selections should check whether Drammeh’s two-goal substitute appearance earns him a starting role and whether Yllan Okou’s stoppage-time dismissal affects La Louvière’s next team sheet. The supplied information identifies no new ticketing, travel or policing measures arising from the result; supporters should consult the clubs’ official channels before attending later matches.
Impact
Regional — The match connected two major Walloon football communities in Liège and Hainaut. It reinforced Standard’s early momentum and deepened La Louvière’s difficult start, with reputational and commercial importance for clubs rooted strongly in their respective cities.
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsStandard’s selection and control argument
Vincent Euvrard’s side can view the victory as confirmation that possession, patience and squad depth are beginning to produce results. Standard created three clear chances, controlled much of the ball and introduced the player who settled the match.
La Louvière’s performance argument
Edward Still’s team can argue that 2-0 overstates the difference between the sides. The Wolves matched Standard for clear chances, attempted more shots and repeatedly tested Matthieu Epolo, but were punished by a substitute who finished with unusual efficiency.
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