Club grabs dream start after hard-fought win against Bayer Leverkusen!

On the first match day of the UEFA Champions League, Club hosted Germany's Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Shortly before halftime, young Sylla brought the home team into the lead. It remained shaky until the end, but Blue-Black pulled off the win. Perfect start to the new campaign!

Blauw-Zwart gained confidence in the past few weeks in the national competition with 4 wins in a row. There was a solid base, but just before the important first home match in the UEFA Champions League, the team was forced to make some changes. Important pawn Mata injured himself in the game against Cercle and some shuffling was required. Odoi took his place in defense alongside Mechele and Sylla. Newcomer Onyedika could thus cash in on his first start in Club's midfield. Perhaps the most striking name at Leverkusen was Kossounou, who looked his former team in the eye.

In the first minutes of the match it was mainly Club that claimed the ball, but as expected Leverkusen was immediately well organized. Around minute 10, the first goal threat was even for the visitors. The speedy Diaby started a rush from the right flank and cut inside. Eventually he was able to kick as well, but Mignolet went well flat on his attempt. Five minutes later, Club put their nose to the window: Skov Olsen laid the ball back for Sowah, but his shot was blocked and ended up in a corner. Both teams kept a good balance, but Leverkusen came closest to a goal. Schick luckily tapped a low cross at the first post wide of the goal.

Moments later Blauw-Zwart again got away well. Kossounou played the ball centrally to Diaby, who placed it hard into the corner. Luckily Mignolet was able to push the ball against the post with his fingertips. The home team had a hard time creating openings against the German block and Jutglà tried his luck from distance. His shot was unfortunately a deflection that went way over and wide of the goal. The focal point of the first half, however, was at the end. Skov Olsen cut a corner kick sharply and Sylla deviated the ball with his head. Goalkeeper Hradecky did not go clear and the leather landed in goal. Jan Breydel was shaking on its foundations and at the stroke of halftime there was egg like double the lead. The visitors' goalie managed to push Sowah's effort over the crossbar. Club thus went to rest with a 1-0 lead....

Blue-Black started the second half with the same eleven names, but it was Leverkusen that provided the first threat. A shot from Diaby deviated and fortunately went wide of the goal, leaving Mignolet nailed to the ground. A few minutes later, there was danger on both sides: a volley from Bakker went over goal and, on the other side, Jutglà popped too centrally at Hradecky. The game went back and forth well and now it was Hudson-Odoi who was able to lay on the ball just outside the penalty area. His shot was fortunately blocked by Nielsen and went over goal.

Club had the game well under control and tried to play forward. Around minute 70 there was an attempt by Demirbay, but his cross went wide. Soon after, however, there was a fuss at Jan Breydel. Hudson-Odoi brought the ball sharply in front of goal and there the leather was deviated by Schick. Mignolet saw the ball go against the nets, but in the end the German party did not continue: VAR saw offside by Schick and the goal was disallowed. A few minutes later, Schick scored again, but again the Leverkusen striker was in an offside position. Blauw-Zwart had to recover from the rush for a while, but did try to restore the balance. A shot by Skov Olsen landed over goal, however.

At Club, it was now really sink or swim, but a shot by Demirbay lacked direction. In the added time, Mignolet once again had to show all his skills on a free kick by Hlozek, but Club's goalie dived well into the corner. The 1-0 remained on the board and so Blauw-Zwart knows a perfect start of the Champions League campaign!

UEFA Champions League - Playday 1
Spectators: 22,200 - Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Irfan Peljto
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Denis Odoi, Brandon Mechele, Abakar Sylla - Andreas Skov Olsen (83' Cisse Sandra), Casper Nielsen, Raphael Onyedika (83' Éder Balanta), Hans Vanaken, Bjorn Meijer - Kamal Sowah (89' Eduard Sobol), Ferran Jutglà (64' Roman Yaremchuk).
Bench: Senne Lammens, Eduard Sobol, Dedryck Boyata, Éder Balanta, Lynnt Audoor, Cisse Sandra, Cyle Larin, Antonio Nusa, Roman Yaremchuk.
Coach: Carl Hoefkens.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Lukas Hradecky - Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié, Mitchel Bakker (67' Adam Hlozek) - Jeremie Frimpong (86' Sardar Azmoun), Charles Aránguiz (46' Exequiel Palacios), Callum Hudson-Odoi (86' Nadiem Amiri), Robert Andrich (67' Kerem Demirbay), Moussa Diaby - Patrik Schick.
Bench: Niklas Lomb, Maximilian Neutgens, Paulinho, Sardar Azmoun, Kerem Demirbay, Nadiem Amiri, Edmond Tapsoba, Adam Hlozek, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Exequiel Palacios.
Coach: Gerardo Seoane.

Yellow cards: Palacios, Andrich, Demirbay, Sowah
Red cards: none
Goals: 42' Abakar Sylla (1-0)