The top position in the Belgian league was within reach for Anderlecht, but Club Brugge clearly thought differently about that. Blauw-zwart rocked Jan Breydel once again as usual with a clear 3-1 win against the eternal competitor from Brussels. The people of Bruges are also creeping closer in the unpredictable Champions’ Play-offs.
Provided they gained points, Anderlecht could take the lead alone for the first time since August 2018, or 2061 days ago. Then Hein Vanhaezebrouck was at the helm and they won their first four games. Not in our house the people of Bruges must have thought. Blue-black started brightly. After three minutes the lead was already on the board. Mechele outwitted Dolberg on a perfectly taken corner from Skoras and nodded the ball into his net.
Despite the fact that Club was battered – Mignolet and Skov Olsen injured, Vanaken with stomach flu – they still dictated the law in the first half. Taken by the hand by a lively Skoras and an eager Sabbe. But just like in the second half against Cercle, Club lacked efficiency today. With some better choices on the counter, the double lead should have been on the board before half time. Striker duo Thiago and Jutgla also missed big opportunities.
And with purple and white? Some frustrations bubbled up there. Witness: Riemer – who preferred Delaney instead of Rits – got into a fight with fourth ref Verboomen and was given a yellow card by Lardot. The long ball was used too often and the combinations did not work out. It was – as so often this season – waiting for a flash, but it did not come. And Club continued with the same momentum in the second half. Something he often did not dare to do in the regular competition. Kudos to Hayen: for example, he chose to replace the injured Nielsen not with Balanta but with Jutgla. On the hour mark, an unleashed Onyedika capitalized on her attacking spirit with a fine long-range shot: 2-0.
Final offensive(you) Anderlecht
Riemer responded and brought fresh blood and a lot of speed to his team with Amuzu and Ashimeru. Delaney and Stroeykens went to the bench, putting Hazard in midfield. An intervention that seemed to pay off: there was some momentum in the team. First, a cross from Hazard ended up with Dolberg, who decided acrobatically. Dolberg then guided Amuzu cleverly through the Bruges defense, but Jackers came out well. The signal to also throw Vazquez and Angulo into the fight: all or nothing.
In vain. Angulo did create some danger with his fast dribbling and ditto feet. But really create opportunities? That was hard. Then Bruges was the most dangerous on the counter-attack. A minute before the end, Onyedika pushed the knife a little deeper into the Brussels wound. With a place ball that disappeared into the same corner as his first, it became 3-0. The fact that Dreyer, following Augustinsson’s cross, headed the honor saver high into the goal, was only useful for the statistics.
With this victory by Club Brugge, the accordion of these Champions’ Play offs folds again. Bruges narrows the gap on Union and Anderlecht to five points and remains third. Second place is not completely gone yet. While the Purple & White could not take full advantage of the zero out of six with which Union started its final campaign.
