Carl Hoefkens could look back on the match against KV Mechelen with satisfaction after a dominant display. The Blauw-Zwart coach was initially annoyed by the fact that all press attention went to Tuesday's game against Atlético. At least the players were not bothered by that.
"We played this match very professionally. For me, this is a start for next steps. The boys did a very good job and then when you see that we can maintain that intensity until the end, I believe we can dream of really competing at the top. I also definitely want to give kudos to our Club Academy. When you see that two guys from 2005 are in the starting lineup and have done so with so much maturity, I'm very optimistic about the future."
"Our offensive compartment was very strong today. Especially in the box, we are extremely dangerous. Jutglà showed again that he is a master at that. The way he moves and how he finishes always puts the opponent in serious trouble and that resulted in another goal today. Jutglà, of course, is not the only one who performed well today. Sowah also showed again tonight that he is in great form. The level he puts on the mat always gives us the opportunity to be dangerous up front."
Hoefkens still could not call on Clinton Mata against KV Mechelen. "The situation around Mata is difficult to assess at the moment. It's a bit sideways. He could be in training this week, but it could just as easily go the other way. There is no complete clarity yet. It does more than reassure me that the substitutes performed excellently today. Buchanan and Lang were not yet 100 percent fit, but they did show today that they have a lot of quality."
Next Tuesday in the Champions League, Club Brugge will face a tough chunk with Atlético Madrid. "I have been seriously bothered the last few days by all the press attention going to Atlético. We as a Club look at everything match by match and then when I open the newspapers and see that attention is only going to Tuesday's match, that's not a good signal. It is also dangerous for the locker room that so much attention goes to that match. We want to bring a certain intensity to the mat and with that kind of coverage, of course that becomes more difficult. So it's good to see that the players didn't suffer from that today." (MC)