Head coach Alfred Schreuder had little reasons to change a lot after the good performance against Charleroi. He just made the one change: Buchanan was match fit again after he had tested for COVID and replaced Sobol in the starting eleven. The home side recently appointed Valkanis as the new head coach and he immediately made two changes compared to Eupen's previous match: Ngoy and Amat started the game, forcing Gnaka and Müsel on the bench.
The home side was best out of the starting blocks, but the first chance of the game was for Club - which immediately resulted in a goal. In minute 8 Skov Olsen whipped in a corner kick and Hans Vanaken headed in powerfully: 0-1! The captain's goal didn't stir things up. Both sides were too low in tempo which resulted in little chances, apart from Vanaken's left-footed strike from outside the box.
Both sets of fans had to be patient to see a first chance after Club's opener. Just before the half-hour mark De Ketelaere teed up Buchanan. The Canadian winger went down the left-hand side and fired at goal, but Eupen goalkeeper Nurudeen kept it out with a solid foot reflex.
A few minutes later Buchanan tried it again when Skov Olsen's free-kick was headed clear and the Canadian volleyed it just over the crossbar from well outside the penalty area.
No changes at half-time and a replica of the first half: the home side had the ball, but it was Club that created the first chance. Vanaken's perfectly-weighted pass reached De Ketelaere, but he scuffed his finish just wide. Eupen responded through Prevljak. His first attempt went wide, his second went into the arms of Mignolet.
While The Pandas were gaining more control over the game, Club scored a second goal against the run of play. Amat failed to clear the ball, which landed in the feet of De Ketelaere. The youngster didn't hesitate to unwrap that gift and he smashed it into the roof of the net from an acute angle. Nurudeen had no chance.
But that goal didn't put the game to bed. The home side halved the deficit almost immediately. Nuhu forced Mignolet into making a diving save, but Prevljak stabbed home the rebound from close range.
Eupen believed in their chances after that goal and almost equalized, but Mignolet pulled off a great save to thwart Nuhu from close range. Club weathered the storm and slowly restored the balance of the match. Rits tried it with a left-footed finish, but Nurudeen saved it in two times. A few minutes later Adamyan just couldn't get at the end of De Ketelaere's low cross. The Armenian loanee had another chance a few moments later, but he couldn't get it past Nurudeen. On the other side of the pitch Lambert headed a cross into the hands of Mignolet.
In the dying seconds of normal time the blue and black finally killed the game with a decisive third goal. Vanaken played the ball into the path of Rits. The midfielder squared it to Adamyan in front of goal, who slotted home with his first for the blue and black: 1-3!
Jupiler Pro League – Matchday 28
Attendance: 8.363 – Kehrwegstadion
Referee: Jan Boterberg
KAS Eupen: Abdul Nurudeen – Boris Lambert, Emmanuel Agbadou, Jordi Amat (c) (86’ Emmanuel Sowah Adjei) - Andreas Beck (75’ Leonardo Rocha), Gary Magnée (60’ Jérôme Déom), James Jeggo, Stef Peeters, Teddy Alloh – Julien Ngoy (60’ Isaac Nuhu), Smail Prevljak.
Bench: Robin Himmelmann, Isaac Nuhu, Emmanuel Sowah Adjei, Jérôme Déom, Jens Cools, Leonardo Rocha, Silas Gnaka.
Coach: Michael Valkanis.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Clinton Mata, Brandon Mechele, Stanley Nsoki – Andreas Skov Olsen (75’ Éder Balanta), Denis Odoi, Mats Rits, Hans Vanaken, Tajon Buchanan (84’ Cisse Sandra) – Noa Lang (75’ Sargis Adamyan), Charles De Ketelaere.
Bench: Senne Lammens, Nick Shinton, Eduard Sobol, Jack Hendry, Éder Balanta, Ruud Vormer, Cisse Sandra, Sargis Adamyan, Bas Dost, Antonio Nusa.
Coach: Alfred Schreuder.
Yellow cards: Déom
Red cards: none
Doelpunten: 8’ Vanaken (0-1), 57’ De Ketelaere (0-2), 62’ Prevljak (1-2), 90’ Adamyan (1-3)
Report -Tom Mannens
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