Club Brugge puts pressure on Brussels teams with victory over Antwerp

Club Brugge steams through the Champions’ play-offs. Thanks to an intense 1-2 win over Antwerp, the people of Bruges took 19 out of 21, no team has ever started the play-offs better. The ball is now in the court of Anderlecht and Union, who will play later today.

The opulence at Club Brugge is great: Nicky Hayen once again clearly hinted that at the Bosuil. Compared to the match at Fiorentina, no fewer than six new names appeared in the starting line-up. And not the least. Mignolet, for example, who quickly had to box a seething shot from Ejuke from his cage.

Antwerp had started like a fury: after three (!) seconds Janssen already took the yellow card after a big hit on Onyedika. Cutting off Club’s legs immediately and playing the physical card, that seemed to be the plan. But Blue and Black remained calm, survived the first half and went into halftime 0-0.

Double on the Bruges side

A goal was supposed to explode the match. And just like in Genk, the penny fell on the Bruges side. Thiago sent De Cuyper to the back line with a clever tap, and his cross fluttered past a bewildered Lammens via the foot of Alderweireld. Club ahead after a lucky goal. Again. The scenario seemed like a copy of last weekend.

Van Bommel made three substitutions: Kerk, Balikwisha and Yusuf came. The signal for four crazy minutes. A sharp cross from Kerk was missed by a toenail, but in the next phase Skov Olsen countered to make it 0-2. The Dane cleverly pushed the ball into the far corner in his well-known style. Played a match? Not at all, because a minute later Ordonez hung on Balikwisha. Vergoote pointed to the spot: the substitute was allowed to convert the penalty himself.

Five minutes of injury time made no changes to the scoreboard: Club Brugge won for the sixth time in a row in the play-offs and (for the time being) jumps to the top of the rankings. Union and Anderlecht will soon be allowed to decide in a mutual match who will be the biggest title challenger.

Racing Genk takes 0 out of 9

After the double defeat against Club Brugge, Racing Genk lost again in Bruges on Saturday: it became no less than 4-1 to Cercle Brugge. Genk conceded 11 goals in three matches and is now definitively eliminated from the title.

Standings Champion’s Playoffs1. Club Brugge 45 points (7 games)2. Anderlecht 42 (6)3. Union 41 (6)4. Genk 34 (7)5. Cercle Brugge (7)6. Antwerp 29 (7)