LIVE CLUB-LUGANO (9pm). Deila rotates and makes six substitutions | Belgian clubs in Europe

Six substitutions at Club Brugge. So Deila rotates.

Club Brugge line-up: Mignolet; Buchanan, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Vetlesen, Vanaken; Skov Olsen, Thiago, Zinckernagel

Club Brugge is still undefeated in its group in the Conference League and is leading the group with seven points. Blue and Black will soon take on Lugano, but the match a few hours earlier between Besiktas and Bodø/Glimt is also important. If the Turks cannot win, Club will be assured of at least second place in the group if they win against Lugano. This is equivalent to a ticket for the Conference League jump-offs. If the people of Bruges come first, they immediately go to the 1/8th finals.

Halfway Besiktas-Bodø/Glimt is 0-1. Good interim result for Club.

When things are not going well, people look not only at the coach but also at the captain: “It’s not my way, but maybe I should shout more on the field,” says Hans Vanaken.

“It always comes back,” the playmaker sighed deeply. When asked about the criticism from analysts about his attitude in the Duden Park, where the captain suffered an inglorious loss with Club Brugge on Sunday evening. “It is my body language that I carry with me and that always turns out to be negative when things are not going well.”

Hans Vanaken remains Hans Vanaken. And he won’t change anymore. While Simon Mignolet gave his defense the full blow on Sunday around minute fifty, the Club captain silently went down with blue-black. This is being criticized left and right, as was the case last season during the annus horribilis of the people of Bruges: “Maybe I should shout more on the field or in the dressing room. But it’s not my way. (grins) I much prefer to criticize in private in the hope that we will play football differently or that players will improve. That’s why I’m not necessarily going to shout in public.”

It is not that Vanaken does not care about it, on the contrary. After Antwerp, Simon Mignolet once again emphasized to the cameras at home how he, together with Vanaken, is doing everything he can to turn the tide. This is often confirmed within the Basecamp. However, his stoic attitude during difficult matches suggests the opposite. “It’s something I can’t just change.”

Unlike Club Brugge, Vanaken is having a good season – together with Skov Olsen he has scored 20 of the 49 goals for blue-black so far. But he doesn’t buy much for it: “Why things are so difficult is a good question. I think it has to do with the many young guests. Anyone who is 18, 19 or 20 cannot continuously perform at top level. However, we need to learn to assess some things better. After Union we talked. On Sunday things could have been better in all aspects of football. Defensively, in matches, in terms of intensity. We made it too easy for Union.”

Ronny Deila is currently catching the wind from the front – not illogical if Club Brugge only occupies 7th place in the rankings: “In any case, we still have full confidence in him. There is no doubt about that at any time. Things weren’t good on Sunday, but things could have gone differently in many other matches. We have to accept the situation. As a staff and group of players, we know that we can and must do much better.”

And whether the pressure has increased after Sunday on Club Brugge and coach Ronny Deila. “The club is in a transition period,” the Norwegian defends himself. “It’s no coincidence what happened last season.”

LOOK. Deila does not focus on her own position

After three promising victories, Club was dealt a major blow. After Union’s exit, the excuses are gradually being used up. And blue-black is initially obliged to beat both Cercle and Lugano: “You’ve been saying that all year,” says Deila. “After 15 years in the business, I’m used to that. Sunday was the first match we rightly lost. Whatever happens this week, I will survive and have a good life afterwards. I’m just busy winning and playing well.”

Deila cannot get Club going – of course he is also in the eye of the storm now that, just like last season, Blauw-zwart is falling well short of expectations: “I’m really not concerned with that. I sit here to defend everything – I want to take everything on my shoulders to do that. It’s not one person who is to blame. But if you want to blame someone, blame me. We know where we stand – at the end of the day we will see. Then we will also see whether it is still with me or not. That is up to the club to decide. It is up to them to say something about that. At this time I have not received any signal. Usually it’s over when you get a signal (laughs).”

The Norwegian coach showed himself combative on the eve of Lugano at home: “I am energetic and I want to fight. I love my players and want to do everything for them. We want to bring our team back up to standard so that they can show what we expect from them.”

Club will miss Nusa against Lugano – the player is again suffering from back pain. Nielsen and Skov Olsen were doubtful, but both trained on Wednesday. Finally, TJ Buchanan is available again.

LOOK. Club is training for the match against Lugano