Two goals in quick succession
The first six minutes of the match looked like hell for the Unionists. The people of Bruges immediately come to press them high on the pitch, the knife between their teeth. Faced with a Brussels defense cobbled together due to absences and suspensions, Minda too easily fired a point-blank shot to open the scoring (0-1, 5th). 60 seconds later, Nilsson missed the equalizer against Moris, and on a counterattack perfectly managed by Cercle, Denkey was found by Lemaréchal to double their lead (0-2, 6th).
Completely scattered defensively, the Union has just taken two serious blows to the head. Alexander Blessin’s men gradually regained their senses afterward after going four behind, but came up against an impassable Warleson several times. Just before the break, the wall is finally breached: Utkus charges Lapoussin late in the area, and Nilsson reduces the gap from the penalty spot (1-2, 45th+4).
The psychological shift
Returning from the locker room, the Union is unable to shake up a serious Bruges block that lets nothing get by. Nilsson still had another opportunity to equalize in the 50th minute, but the Swede missed the ball. The sanction will fall later: on a loss of ball by Sykes, already involved in the first two Bruges goals, Minda serves Somers in front of the empty goal to score a third goal (1-3, 71st).
In added time, Eckert, who could have been excluded for two bad gestures, reduced the score with a confused action (2-3, 90th + 2). However, it is too late: the Union has missed its match and lost. The Apaches maintain the lead with 35 points, but could see tied Anderlecht take first place with a win or draw tonight against Club Brugge. A scenario that would shake up the two teams psychologically, just one week before their clash at Lotto Park.
The essays :
Union Saint-Gilloise: Moris – Vanhoutte, Machida, Sykes – Castro-Montes, Lazare (64th), Sadiki (Rasmussen, 84th), Puertas, Lapoussin – Nilsson (Eckert, 79th), Amoura (Teklab, 79th)
Cercle Bruges : Warleson – Siquet (Popovic, 70e), Utkus, Daland, Ravych – Van der Bruggen, Lopes (De Wilde, 90e) – Somers (Francis, 78e), Lemaréchal (Augusto, 70e), Minda (Olaigbe, 78e) – Denkey
