On matchday 2 of the Champions' Play-offs , Club Brugge went to Stayen to take on Sint-Truiden. In the first half, the home team took the lead through Ito and 1-0 was also the score at halftime. Early in the second half Bruges came alongside through Vetlesen and eventually Tzolis from the spot ensured an important 1-2 victory at Stayen!
Blauw-Zwart opened their Champions' Play-offs last week with a fine 4-2 victory against RSC Anderlecht. Coach Ivan Leko had little reason to make many changes to his starting line-up, but was forced to do so. Mignolet suffered a hamstring injury this week and had to miss the game against STVV. Consequently, Jackers took his place between the posts, but for the rest the same names were on the board as in the home game against Anderlecht. There was also one change for the Canaries: Musliu took his place in the center of defense at the expense of Mbe Soh.
In the opening minutes it was Club that let the ball circulate, but the first goal threat did come from the home side after only three minutes. Yamamoto captured the ball from Tresoldi in midfield and then got the leather back from Ito. The blast from outside the sixteen was within reach of Jackers, but Club's goalie still chose to push the ball safely away. Just before the quarter hour mark, STVV got a free kick just outside the penalty area, but Ito curled the ball quite high over Jackers' goal. The Bruggelings responded with an action by Tzolis who came inside and was then able to strike towards goal. However, Sissako was in the path of the shot and he deviated the ball into a corner with his head. That corner also produced something in the second, as Sabbe found Tresoldi at the far post. The top marksman had something beautiful in mind, but his volley from close range landed over Kokubo's cage. Just before halfway through the first half, the Truienaars did take the lead. After a quick combination over several stations, Ito eventually found himself alone in front of Jackers and the Japanese slid the 1-0 under the Bruges goalie against the nets.
That setback was followed shortly thereafter by even more bad news when Forbs unhappily collided with his head hard against Sabbe's knee. Both players were so stricken that a double substitution was immediately called for. Siquet and Diakhon made their appearance after only half an hour. The latter also tried to show himself immediately when the ball fell from a corner, but his shot went high over the goal. Shortly before the halftime signal STVV got a corner kick and here they had a variation in mind. The ball was played low to the edge of the penalty area and there Sebaoui was waiting to head it towards goal. Fortunately the ball was slightly deflected and again went into the corner via the outside of the post. A few minutes later the same Sebaoui was again dangerous on a corner kick, but this time his blast was parried by Jackers. Thus we went to rest with a small lead for the "Canaries...
The second half began with a notable change, as the already substituted Diakhon remained in the locker room, allowing Vetlesen to start the second game. That intervention paid off almost immediately, as after only a few minutes the signs were balanced...by Vetlesen! Taniguchi played a poor ball backwards and the Norwegian midfielder was able to intercept the ball and head towards Kokubo alone. The Japanese defender did come back, but tackled the leather towards goal and eventually Vetlesen was able to score the equalizer. On the hour, Blauw-Zwart was there again with an in play pass from Siquet to Tresoldi and the latter deviated at one time backwards to the free Vanaken. Unfortunately, however, the captain cracked his shot so Kokubo did not have to intervene. Halfway through the second half, it was Tzolis' turn to go for his chance, but he too was unsuccessful. In his familiar way, the Greek winger came inside to then fish the far corner. His placed shot unfortunately went just wide of the post.
After seventy minutes, the home team showed themselves once again through Muja who entered the box from the left. The winger was able to kick towards goal, but fortunately his attempt was deflected into a corner. That corner also produced a threat, but Musliu completely missed his shot and so the danger was gone. Blauw-Zwart's response came quickly via a cross from Siquet to the far post. There Vetlesen headed against Vanwesemael's arm and ref D'Hondt did not hesitate to resolutely point to the spot. Tzolis then put himself behind the ball and popped the lead past Kokubo from the spot! At the end of regular playing time, Club did get away well. Vanaken couldn't get the ball away on the edge of his own sixteen and so Goto was able to pop at goal from close range. Jackers reacted alertly and on Matsuzawa's retrieval, Club's goalie also threw himself on the ball to prevent the equalizer.
An extra seven minutes were counted and in this the home team was once again dangerous. Pupe played a long ball towards Goto, who deviated the leather with his knee just wide of the post. In the end, nothing more changed the score and so Club starts the Champions' Play-offs with an important 6 on 6!
Champions' Play-offs - Day 2
Spectators: 14,000 - Daio Wasabi Stayen Stadium
Referee: Lothar D'Hondt
Sint-Truiden VV: Leo Kokubo - Robert-Jan Vanwesemael (82' Ryan Merlen), Visar Musliu, Shogo Taniguchi, Taiga Hata (86' Joedrick Pupe) - Arbnor Muja (74' Kaito Matsuzawa), Rihito Yamamoto, Ryotaro Ito (86' Oumar Diouf), Abdoulaye Sissako, Ilias Sebaoui - Keisuke Goto.
Bank: Jo Coppens, Matt Lendfers, Simen Juklerød, Loïc Mbe Soh, Oumar Diouf, Wolke Janssens, Kaito Matsuzawa, Alouis Diriken, Joedrick Pupe, Ryan Merlen.
Coach: Wouter Vrancken.
Club Brugge: Nordin Jackers - Kyriani Sabbe (29' Hugo Siquet), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Joaquin Seys - Aleksandar Stanković, Raphael Onyedika (89' Jorne Spileers), Hans Vanaken - Carlos Forbs (29' Mamadou Diakhon (46' Hugo Vetlesen)), Nicolò Tresoldi (83' Romeo Vermant), Christos Tzolis.
Bank: Dani van den Heuvel, Axl De Corte, Jorne Spileers, Hugo Siquet, Bjorn Meijer, Hugo Vetlesen, Cisse Sandra, Félix Lemaréchal, Mamadou Diakhon, Romeo Vermant.
Coach: Ivan Leko.
Yellow cards: Kokubo, Sebaoui, Diouf, Spileers, Vetlesen
Red cards: none
Goals: 22' Ito (1-0), 48' Vetlesen (1-1), 80' Tzolis (1-2)