AA Gent can still dream of the groups of the Champions League. In the debut of Wim De Decker, the Austrian vice champion Rapid Wien was settled with 2-1, in the usual way. With the well-known way of playing, but also with fumbling in the back. Do the same against Dynamo Kiev and the Champions League will remain a dream this year.
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It was as predictable as the resignation of Jess Thorup, that first-time trainer Wim De Decker would revert to the familiar game system of the pre-Bölöni era. The 4-4-2 with a diamond in midfield, ended up in the trash basket with the now fired Romanian. With Chakvetadze in a central role as ten, behind Depoitre and Yaremchuk. Kleindienst sat on the couch. And without the just recovered Odjidja, but with Dorsch. It was that German of 1.75 meters who put AA Gent on his way to qualifying for the final preliminary round after half an hour, on Kums’ cross, after one of the few full-term attacks by the home team.
The goal almost literally came out of the blue for AA Gent. Again the Buffalos paid bibberg money. Rapid the team was in shape, Ghent in crisis and you could see that immediately. Rapid top shooter Fountas tested Roef early on. Less than two minutes later, Arslanagic passed under the ball, as if he wanted to compete with Plastun for the Gaston Lagaffe of the Season. Ngadeu prevented it from being punished. And so it went on for twenty minutes. Rapid took advantage of the Buffalo’s lack of confidence. Only it turned out not to be a world team that mercilessly finishes every mistake. On the contrary. As Murg was allowed to push through, it should always have been 0-1. Ghent was lucky that he went too selfishly for his own success and aimed wide.
Yaremchuk leaves it
Under the impulse of a fantastic Owusu and Kums, who always play his match, Gent slowly but surely restored the balance without becoming really dangerous. Only Yaremchuk could have scored for the 1-0, but he grazed Kums’s free kick. Shortly after the 1-0, Yaremchuk should have scored. Blunder in the back at Rapid only launched him towards goal, but he let the ball jump too far from the foot. Gone chance, gone a worthy way to get his gram on Laszlo Bölöni. On the other side, Roef had a great parade on a piece of Fountas.
Even after the break, Ghent initially continued to defend with an egg in the pants. Arslanagic again went too weak in the duel, Kara already kicked for the second time in a few minutes. Just as Rapid spilled chances in the front, it turned out that it did not have the most decisive players in the back. Incredibly stupid how Greiml brought down Chakvetadze after one of his typical rushes. Chakvetadze had already lost the ball by then. AA Gent had lost Chakvetadze, although until then he had barely been noticed. Yaremchuk converted the penalty kick, in the image of the match. Against the goalkeeper’s legs, but against the nets.
That this team wanted to show something after the departure of Laszlo Bölöni, well, it was difficult to establish. Lady Fortuna in particular was finally on the side of Ghent. Like when Roef dropped a ball, but saw it capriol in his hands. That the connection goal of substitute Demir only came in extra time. And especially that Greiml headed the 2-2 in the final minute just wide.
–Tempered ambitions
And now? Because it sounded more logical than daring when Ivan De Witte expressed his ambitions shining with pride at the end of May. Want to challenge Club Brugge? Obviously, AA Gent had just finished second and had more broadly furnished the core. And if possible, it could also reach the group stage of the Champions League, provided a feasible opponent. They were not unfortunate in the least at AA Gent with the draw two weeks ago. Rapid Wien, that was the weakest possible opponent in the first of three matches, separating them from the tinkling box office called the Champions League. Schnitzels were not yet called it, like that other Austrian team three years ago, the puny Altach. That bite turned into a hairball, which still makes you gag. The beginning of the end even for Hein Vanhaezebrouck, who left less than two months later.
For Wim De Decker, the choir boys from Vienna offered a dream debut, albeit not without a beginner’s luck. “But we are not going to live in the past,” you hear these days in the Ghelamco Arena about those too steep ambitions. In other words, they have already been tempered. But also. The title is further away than ever and even the final qualifying round for the Champions League is not as attainable as hoped. Unless AA Gent is suddenly back to normal at home next week in the first leg against Dynamo Kiev. But what it allowed itself against Rapid is always punished in two games against Dynamo. There is hope. A lot of work.
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