Blauw-Zwart travelled to 't Kuipje on matchday two of the 2023-24 season. Club dominated Westerlo the first half and opened the scoring through Thiago. The Brazilian's goal proved enough to take the three points home.
Coach Deila made two changes to his starting line-up, compared to the Thursday's away match against AGF Aarhus. Academy graduate Sabbe replaced the suspended De Cuyper and Vetlesen forced Rits on the bench.
Club came flying out of the blocks with almost a brilliant goal inside the first few minutes when Skov Olsen picked out Thiago in front of goal and the Brazilian Summer signing flicked it just wide with his backheel. Blauw-Zwart hogged the ball and still inside the first quarter of an hour Vanaken tried his luck from the edge of the box, but Bolat wasn't too troubled by the captain's effort. The hosts then restored the balance. Reynolds found Van den Keybus on the left-hand side with a searching cross, but the former Club Brugge player couldn't make enough contact with the ball. Five minutes later Neustädtler headed wide on a corner kick.
Midway the first half Nusa received a long pass from Spileers on the move and squared it to Thiago at just the right time, but the Brazilian put the ball wide when trying to control it. A few minutes later Skov Olsen flashed past his defender before whipping in a good cross towards Vanaken, but Bolat kept the powerful header out with a splendid save. He then had to get back up quickly to deny Nusa. Blauw-Zwart now really dictated the pace of the game. On the half-hour mark Sabbe found Thiago in front of goal, who flicked the ball into the path of Vetlesen, but the Norwegian put it wide. Two minutes later Vanaken released Nusa on the left with an excellent pass, but the 18-year-old smashed it into the side-netting.
With ten minutes on the clock before the half-time whistle, Club finally broke the deadlock. Thiago was weaved through the home defence by Vanaken, went round Bolat and scooped it into the empty net over the reaching hands of the goalkeeper. A few minutes later Thiago turned provider when his backheel pass put Skov Olsen in front of Bolat, but the Dane slammed it hard against the bar. Just the one goal difference at the break.
The same twenty-two players returned to the pitch after the break, but this time it was Westerlo that started best with Madsen surging forward and seeing his shot blocked partly by Mechele before it sailed wide of the target. Club responded swiftly via Nusa who picked out Thiago in front of goal, but Bolat thwarted the Brazilian. Club controlled the game again and created a few half-chances on the hour. Vetlesen saw a shot deflected wide and another effort palmed away by Bolat. In between his chances Vanaken headed a Nusa cross into the hands of Bolat. The Westerlo goalkeeper spilled the ball on a corner on 70 minutes and Thiago almost poached it home, but the referee had already whistled for a possible handball situation.
With just the narrow lead, Club had to be wary not to concede. Vaesen thought his free-kick went in, but Mignolet clawed it out of the top corner - a brilliant save! That chance led the home side grow into the game. Mebude went past Sabbe and fired at goal from an acute angle, but Mignolet was there to keep it out. A few minutes later Van den Keybus tried to level things up, but Spileers produced a good defensive block. Coach Deila reacted by making two defensive changes: Ordóñez and Odoi came on.
Club found its feet again and was looking to put the game to bed. Nusa dropped his shoulder to shake off his defender and rush towards Bolat, but the Norwegian slammed it against the bar. That was the last chance of the game and so Club bags the first three points of the season.
Jupiler Pro League – Matchday 2
Attendance: 8.035 – ‘t Kuipje
Referee: Jan Boterberg
KVC Westerlo: Sinan Bolat – Bryan Reynolds (84’ Edisson Jordanov), Roman Neustädter, Ravil Tagir, Jordan Bos – Thomas Van den Keybus, Mathias Fixelles (84’ Muhammed Gümüskaya), Nicolas Madsen, Yusuke Matsuo (72’ Lucas Stassin) – Erdon Daci (58’ Adedire Mebude), Matija Frigan (72’ Kyan Vaesen).
Bench: Nick Gillekens, Edisson Jordanov, Pietro Perdichizzi, Arthur Piedfort, Muhammed Gümüskaya, Adedire Mebude, Kyan Vaesen, Lucas Stassin.
Coach: Jonas De Roeck.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Tajon Buchanan, Brandon Mechele, Jorne Spileers, Kyriani Sabbe (85’ Denis Odoi) - Raphael Onyedika, Hans Vanaken, Hugo Vetlesen (72’ Mats Rits) - Andreas Skov Olsen (85’ Joel Ordóñez), Igor Thiago (72’ Roman Yaremchuk), Antonio Nusa (90+2’ Casper Nielsen).
Bench: Nick Shinton, Nordin Jackers, Joel Ordóñez, Casper Nielsen, Denis Odoi, Mats Rits, Michal Skóras, Roman Yaremchuk.
Coach: Ronny Deila.
Yellow cards: Van den Keybus
Red cards: none
Goals: 36’ Thiago (0-1)