On matchday 5 of the Champions' Playoffs, Club Brugge headed to the Planet Group Arena for the Battle of Flanders against KAA Gent. The visitors took an early lead after a goal by Vetlesen and 0-1 was also the score at halftime. In the second half, the Brugge side had plenty of chances to double the score and eventually it happened at the end of regular playing time through Tzolis. Club wins a new Battle of Flanders!
Blauw-Zwart flushed out the earlier defeat against Union last Wednesday with a resounding 6-1 win against KV Mechelen. As a result of the draw by the Brusselers against KAA Gent, the Bruges outfit were again two points clear of the leaders. Coach Ivan Leko had little reason to shake up his starting line-up and he did not. More than that...the same eleven names as against Mechelen were at the kick-off for the Battle of Flanders. The trio in midfield consisted of Stanković, Vetlesen and Vanaken and in front Forbs, Tresoldi and Tzolis were responsible for the goals.
It was the home team that tried to seize the initiative in the opening stages and that resulted after a few minutes in a first opportunity for Kanga. He kicked from distance towards goal, but Jackers had no problems with the shot. Then Blauw-Zwart reacted! Vanaken set up the attack and our captain was eventually the passer for Vetlesen. The Norwegian midfielder controlled with the right and then in the penalty area pushed the ball past Roef into the corner with his left. Five minutes later the same protagonist showed himself again on a pass from Tzolis, but this time his placed shot from outside the sixteen was deflected into a corner. A little after the quarter-hour mark, Club came up once more and resulted in two good opportunities. First Vanaken served the free Seys with a heel and the latter took an immediate shot. Roef was able to parry this with a swipe of his foot and shortly afterwards Gent's goalie had to show himself even more. After a low cross from Forbs, the ball got stuck in the penalty area and Vetlesen was able to kick at goal from close range. Roef had an excellent reflex to push the ball against the crossbar and then the ball could just be cleared before Vetlesen could be dangerous in the recovery.
Halfway through the first half, the Buffaloes tried to respond through Dean, but his placing ball from an acute angle went far wide of the goal. A few minutes later, it was De Vlieger who was allowed to go for his chance on a dropped ball after a corner, but Tresoldi stood well in the way. The same De Vlieger was then able to try again after a corner kick, but this time his effort went half a meter over Jackers' cage. It was clear that the home team was getting better and better in the game and could threaten especially from corner kicks. After half an hour, Van der Heyden was able to deviate a corner with his head and Volckaert got free at the far post. Fortunately, he was unable to control the ball sufficiently and kicked high over goal. It had been a while since Club came threatening again, but after 35 minutes another smooth attack was set up through the left flank and then the ball was played centrally. Seys cleverly let run, creating space for Vetlesen, but this time the Norwegian cracked his shot somewhat and so the danger was gone. A few minutes later Dean showed himself across, but Jackers went well flat in the corner to defuse the attempt from the second line. Thus Vetlesen's early goal eventually proved enough to go to rest with a small lead....
The same 22 title holders prepared to start the second half, and in this it was once again Blauw-Zwart that came out of the locker room best. Tzolis quickly searched for the back line and cut free and then put the ball in front of goal. There Vetlesen was able to head, but the leather landed right in the arms of Roef. Moments later, Forbs rushed down his flank and then delivered a perfect cross for Tresoldi. The latter was also able to frame his header from close range, but Roef's reflex was about to tap the leather over his cage. The home team responded with an effort from Araújo, but his shot went far wide of Jackers' goal. Just before midway through the second half, Club was able to launch a lightning-fast counterattack through Tresoldi. He took a long time with the ball, but was eventually able to reach Forbs. The Portuguese winger remained cool and tipped the ball past Roef and into the net via the post. Unfortunately, the party did not continue, because after the intervention of VAR the goal was disallowed due to just offside.
A few minutes after the disallowed goal, it was ei so after again 0-2. Tzolis first made the action and with his cross found the head of Tresoldi. He headed perfectly over, but was unlucky to see it hit the post. The visitors increasingly applied for that important double lead, but Vetlesen was also unlucky in his finishing. Forbs served the Norwegian in the sixteen, but in the end he could not frame his placed ball with the left. Coach Leko then decided to make a double substitution, bringing on Onyedika and Vermant for Vetlesen and Tresoldi. In the minutes that followed, opportunities fell along both sides. First a shot by Stanković was blocked and on the opposite side Goore headed straight at Jackers. Of course, it remained just one goal difference and the equalizer could just fall out of nowhere. After 80 minutes it was almost there when Kadri received the ball after a corner kick. He cut out two Bridge players before taking a shot from just outside the box, but luckily the ball splattered on the crossbar. It was waiting until the end of regular playing time for the reassuring double lead! Forbs passed his opponent at speed and eventually his cross fell at the feet of Tzolis, who couldn't miss from close range.
In the end, six extra minutes were counted, but in this, nothing more changed the score. Blauw-Zwart thus deservedly wins another Battle of Flanders and puts Union under pressure.
Champions' Play-offs - Playday 5
Spectators: 20.000 - Planet Group Arena
Referee: Erik Lambrechts
KAA Gent: Davy Roef - Daiki Hashioka (75' Ibrahima Cissé), Matties Volckaert, Siebe Van der Heyden - Michał Skóraś (87' Momodou Sonko), Leonardo Lopes (75' Abdelkahar Kadri), Tibe De Vlieger, Hyun-seok Hong (62' Hyllarion Goore), Tiago Araújo - Max Dean, Wilfried Kanga.
Bank: Kjell Peersman, Bas Evers, Aimé Omgba, Hatim Es-Saoubi, Momodou Sonko, Atsuki Ito, Jean-Kévin Duverne, Abdelkahar Kadri, Hyllarion Goore, Hannes Vernemmen, Ibrahima Cissé.
Coach: Rik De Mil.
Club Brugge: Nordin Jackers - Hugo Siquet (85' Bjorn Meijer), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Joaquin Seys (85' Jorne Spileers) - Aleksandar Stanković, Hugo Vetlesen (73' Raphael Onyedika), Hans Vanaken - Carlos Forbs (90+1' Cisse Sandra), Nicolò Tresoldi (73' Romeo Vermant), Christos Tzolis.
Bank: Dani van den Heuvel, Bjorn Meijer, Jorne Spileers, Raphael Onyedika, Cisse Sandra, Lynnt Audoor, Mamadou Diakhon, Romeo Vermant, Gustaf Nilsson.
Coach: Ivan Leko.
Yellow cards: De Vlieger, Araújo
Red cards: None
Goals: 4' Vetlesen (0-1), 89' Tzolis (0-2)