Blue and Black off to the Conference League Play-off after resounding 1-5 win at KA Akureyri

A fine first leg result put Club in the driver's seat as it made its way to Iceland to compete with locals KA Akureyri for a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Offs. Early on in the game, Boyata opened the score for Club, only to see that lead doubled with minutes to go through Skóras. KA Akureyri managed to get one back after the break, but an industrious Yaremchuk managed a hattrick to make it a solid 1-5 win for Club in the end.

With ten goals in the last two encounters, Club showed its most productive side. As was to be expected, coach Deila reshuffled his Starting XI, leaving room for just three players that had taken on Eupen in the weekend, i.e. Mignolet, Vetlesen and Zinckernagel. The remaining spots were mostly for young Club talents the likes of Ordóñez and Sabbe. Up front, Yaremchuk was joined by Skóras and Nusa.

The result at Club had given the West-Flemish outside a nicely padded cushion, but nonetheless the team chose for an attack stance in Iceland. In the opening minutes, Zinckernagel found Nusa who fired over. Soon later Club broke the Icelandic code a first time: a good cross found Odoi all alone, who was denied by Audunsson, but in the rebound Boyata eagerly tapped in the 0-1. An early lead for Club, just seven minutes into the game, and five minutes later another goal seemed to follow, but this time the woodwork was in the way of Odoi's header. Club started pushing through, and more chances followed for Vetlesen and Nusa, but without success. A slight blow came through the injury of Nielsen, forced to be substituted for Homma.

Halfway through the first half, the hosts also created their first real threat as Steimgrimsson tried his luck from afar, calling upon Mignolet to clear it into corner kick. Thirty minutes into the game another Icelandic effort was thwarted by Club's goalie. The hosts had enough of all those Icelandic efforts, and now really pushed the pedal to the metal. Odoi put Yaremchuk through on goal, but eye-to-eye with Audunsson Club's forward faltered, seeing another similar effort stopped just one minute later. Just before the break, Zinckernagel cut inside and aimed for goal, but the ball ended up over Audunsson's goal. With half time in clear view now, Club finally managed to double its lead. A corner kick was cleared by the home defense, but ended up with Skóras, who did not hesitate and volleyed the ball straight in the side netting.

With Onyedika coming on for Vetlesen, coach Deila changed his outfit in one position at half-time. The game followed the same lines as it did in the first half, with Club enforcing its play on the home side. Zinckernagel teamed up with Skóras and fired a left-footed strike, but the ball went just wide. The pace of the game relieved, an uneventful few minutes followed, but just after the hour mark, the visiting fans again rejoiced in a Club goal, after Onyedika got hold off the ball on the right hand side, timely finding Yaremchuk in front of goal, tapping in what prove to be his first of the evening. One minute later, the home side also managed to score through Petersen, neatly firing the ball past Mignolet. This did not exactly dampen Club's spirits: some five minutes later, Yaremchuk pushed through to put pressure on the defense, and beat the goalie to the ball to tap in his second of the evening.

With fresh ideas coming from some substitutes at Club's side, the visitors were not exactly done with their Icelandic opponents. De Cuyper found Vermant in front of goal, but the latter came just too late to add another to Club's tally. Moments later, Vermant made up for that missed chances by setting up Yaremchuk to complete his hattrick. His confidence most certainly boosted by the many goals of late, the forward left the pitch through a resounding applause. Two more chances for Homma followed, but on both occasions Audunsson proved the better.

Conceding a second yellow by the end of the game, Edmundsson was sent off, but that did not change the score anymore, even if De Cuyper had an excellent chance to make it 1-6. Another 5-1 win for Club against Akureyri, which puts Club through to the Play-Offs next week where it is set to cross swords with Spanish opposition: Osasuna.

UEFA Europa Conference League – Third prelims (second leg)
Audience: 9,500 – Laugardalsvöllur
Ref: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
KA Akureyri: Steinthór Már Audunsson – Alex Freyr Elísson (71’ Hrannar Mar Steingrímsson) , Rodri, Ívar Örn Árnason, Ingimar Torbjörnsson Stöle – Paetur Petersen, Daníel Hafsteinsson (83’ Sveinn Margeir Hauksson) , Harley Willard (71’ Joan Edmundsson) – Jakob Snaer Árnason (62’ Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson), Elfar Árni Adalsteinsson, Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson (83’ Valdimar Logi Saevarsson).
Bench: Ívar Arnbro Thórhallsson, Kristijan Jajalo, Breki Hólm Baldursson, Sindri Sigurdarson, Joan Edmundsson, Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson, Gabriel Lukas Freitas Meira, Hrannar Mar Steingrímsson, Sigurdur Brynjar Pórisson, Sveinn Margeir Hauksson, Valdimar Logi Saevarsson, Andri Fannar Stefansson.
Coach: Hallgrimur Jonasson.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Denis Odoi, Dedryck Boyata, Joel Ordóñez, Kyriani Sabbe – Casper Nielsen (21’ Shion Homma), Hugo Vetlesen (46’ Raphael Onyedika), Philip Zinckernagel (63’ Romeo Vermant) – Michal Skóras, Roman Yaremchuk (80’ Igor Thiago), Antonio Nusa (63’ Maxim De Cuyper).
Bench: Nordin Jackers, Raphael Onyedika, Brandon Mechele, Tajon Buchanan, Maxim De Cuyper, Shion Homma, Romeo Vermant, Igor Thiago.
Coach: Ronny Deila.

Yellow: Boyata, Adalsteinsson, Odoi, Zinckernagel, Elísson, Edmundsson
Red: Edmundsson (2x yellow)
Goals: 7’ Boyata (0-1), 45+3’ Skóras (0-2), 58’ Yaremchuk (0-3), 60’ Petersen (1-3), 66’ Yaremchuk (1-4), 76’ Yaremchuk (1-5)