Who will stop this Club Brugge? Blauw-zwart takes the lead for the first time since matchday four (!) after a 0-3 win against KRC Genk

We were shocked several times on Sunday afternoon. The video analysts from Club Brugge were sitting a few seats away from us. The fact that not everything went according to plan for Blue-Black in the first half was evident from the number of times our neighbors knocked on the table. Club had a hard time with the pressure from Genk, who clearly wanted to make amends after Wednesday’s 4-0 defeat and grabbed the visitors by the throat from the first minute.

The home team was by far the better team in the first half hour but lacked accuracy, especially in the last third of the field, to convert its dominance into great opportunities. The best was for Zakaria El Ouahdi, one of the absolute revelations in the Champions’ Play-offs, after just six minutes. The Belgian Moroccan tipped the ball wide after a good dribble. In the first half hour, the visitors did not get further than a heading opportunity for an otherwise fairly invisible Nusa.

KRC Genk forgot to reward themselves and just after the half hour, Club somewhat restored the balance. First, Thiago had a header opportunity after a subtle cross from Vanaken. Five minutes later, Genk was finally defeated. A Sabbe cross fell into the far corner after a miscommunication between McKenzie and Vandevoordt. Our neighbors content.

Tolu to the side after collision

Despite the lead, Nicky Hayen made adjustments during halftime. Ferran Jutgla came into the team for Antonio Nusa. Five minutes into the second half, Genk almost scored the goal it deserved in the first half. El Khannouss struck with a shot from outside the sixteen meters, Jackers went flat in his short corner.

Five minutes after that save, Simon Mignolet started to warm up. Jackers was left down after a heavy collision with Tolu Arokodare. Both players seemed to be able to continue, but just five minutes after the collision Tolu went to the ground again out of nowhere. The Nigerian could not continue and was replaced by Zeqiri. The Club fans showed their best side and gave Tolu a standing ovation when he made the substitution.

After the first part of the second half, in which the game was too often at a standstill, the focus could return to football. With a leading role for Kyriani Sabbe. Denis Odoi came into the team for Michal Skoras, after which the Bruges youth product started playing as a right winger – Ronny Deila should not have tried it. Sabbe did beat McKenzie on speed and offered the detached Vetlesen the 0-2.

Twenty minutes before the end, Igor Thiago closed the books completely. Vetlesen was allowed to run away too easily at the back of the Genk defense after a deep ball from Onyedika. Vetlesen found Thiago who made it 0-3. His second goal in as many games. Our neighbors had not yet started analyzing the match images of Fiorentina.

Without really making waves, blue and black took its seventh win in eight games under Nicky Hayen. For the first time since matchday four, the people of Bruges will again take the lead in the Jupiler Pro League, at least for a while. Who will stop this Club?

KRC Genk line-up: Vandevoordt, Sadick, Cuesta, McKenzie, El Ouahdi (75′ Fadera), Galarza, Hrosovsky (75′ Bonsu Baah), Kayembe, El Khannous (88′ Adedeji Sternberg), Ait El Hadj (75′ Bangoura) and Arokodare (64′ Zeqiri)

Club Brugge line-up: Jackers, Sabbe (79′ De Cuyper), Mechele, Ordonez, Meijer, Onyedika (85′ Zinckernagel), Vetlesen (79′ Nielsen), Vanaken, Skoras (62′ Odoi), Thiago and Nusa (46′ Jutgla)

Goals: 38′ Sabbe 0-1, 67′ Vetlesen 0-2, 71′ Thiago 0-3

Yellow cards: Cuesta, Vetlesen, Nielsen

Red cards: /

Referee: Lawrence Fisher