Over 23,000 fans were in attendance at Aalststadion for Red Star Aalst's debut match in the Belgian Premier League, and watched their home club lose a close one 1-0 against the visiting Lazer Sharx. Things got off to an inauspicious start when Adrian-James Castro received an immediate red card for a harsh foul in the 30th minute. Despite that, Red Star stayed defensively sound and took a 0-0 score to half. That remained the score until the 69th minute when Henri-Joseph Bogaerts scored on an impressive header, getting the lone goal of the match.
Club President Harmanus Maes called the return of premier football to Aalststadion an incredible experience. "It felt like a celebration of football's past and present" said Maes. "We had the revival of an old rivalry tonight in front of a great crowd that included several members of the original FC Aalst team. It really leaves me excited for things to come with this club."
Manager Rickard Oberlander acknowledged his team's effort during the post-match press conference, but lamented the red card. "Obvioiusly, a lack of discipline is something that you are going to pay for" said Oberlander, referring to the Castro red card. "After we went down a man, I do believe we did a great job holding our shape and limiting the opponent's chances. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a result in the end. There are positives to take from today, but a lot that we still need to work on."
Red Star goes on the road next week where they will face Bruccels FC.