Club Brugge secured a hard-fought 2-0 win over FC Lugano and is now certain to be playing European football after new year. Igor Thiago broke the deadlock from the spot and Hans Vanaken's deflected free-kick in the dying seconds put the game to bed.
Ronny Deila tinkered with his line-up following Sunday's defeat at Union. In the back Joel Ordóñez replaced Jorne Spileers, while Tajon Buchanan and Maxim De Cuyper came on for Odoi and Meijer. In midfield Onyedika and Vetlesen were given the nod, forcing Balanta and Nielsen on the bench. Deila opted for Igor Thiago up front instead of Ferran Jutglà. As Beşiktaş had lost against Bodø/Glimt, Club was sure to secure a place in the next round of the Conference League if it kept the three points home.
The game started quite hesitant with just a few half-chances from Club. After a Skov Olsen corner kick Buchanan headed the ball in front of the goal again, but Mechele was too surprised to cash in. A few moments later Buchanan whipped in a cross from the backline, but it was cleared by the Lugano defence. Skov Olsen scuffed his finish wide and a De Cuyper cross towards Thiago didn't result in any goalbound threat either.
It took Club thirty minutes before the game was up and running with an effort from Zinckernagel that took a deflection on a defender before it went wide. Moments later Zinckernagel teed up Vanaken but his shot was deflected wide as well, while Skov Olsen arrowed the ball over the top corner and Thiago blasted over the crossbar. The best chance came just before the half-time interval when Zinckernagel latched onto Vanaken's through ball and cut inside but goalkeeper Saipi was equal to the Dane's effort. Lugano only had one glance at goal with a tame Marques' header into the hands of Mignolet.
Deila kept Skov Olsen inside the dressing room at half-time and sent Ferran Jutglà into the fray and the Catalan quickly created a first chance for himself when he tried to lob the goalkeeper, but Saipi was not caught out. At the other side a shot by Cimignani went over the target. Club dominated the match and broke the deadlock after the hour-mark when Buchanan was brought down inside the penalty area and Igor Thiago fired home from the spot.
With twenty minutes on the clock the Brazilian almost had a double, but his sidefooted effort was cleared on the line. The visitors tried to claw themselves back into the game. Bislimi received the ball inside the box, but he was thwarted with a last-ditch tackle. Immediately afterwards Espinoza forced Mignolet into making a good save.
But that was it for Lugano. Blauw-Zwart took over command again, but failed to put the game to bed. Jutglà went through on goal but put the ball wide and a few minutes later he missed from the penalty spot after he had been hacked down inside the penalty area. Shortly after Zinckernagel picked out Jutglà in front of goal, but the attacker couldn't convert.
Deep into stoppage time Blauw-Zwart finally had a second goal when Vanaken's free-kick took a deflection on a defender and the ball fluttered in. It was a hard-fought, but well-deserved win for Club who are now sure to be playing in the Conference League in the new year.
UEFA Europa Conference League – Matchday 4
Attendance: 20.000 – Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Tamás Bognár (Hon)
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Tajon Buchanan (89’ Denis Odoi), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper – Hugo Vetlesen (89’ Éder Balanta), Raphael Onyedika, Hans Vanaken – Andreas Skov Olsen (46’ Ferran Jutglà), Igor Thiago (77’ Bjorn Meijer), Philip Zinckernagel (93’ Michał Skóraś). Bench: Nordin Jackers, Casper Nielsen, Victor Barbera, Dedryck Boyata en Shion Homma. Coach: Ronny Deila.
FC Lugano: Amir Saipi – Allan Arigoni, Lars Lukas Mai, Kreshnik Hajrizi (71’ Roman Macek), Albian Hajdari – Mohamed Mahmoud (71’ Boris Babic), Jonathan Sabbatini, Uran Bislimi (89’ Ayman El Wafi) – Renato Steffen, Yanis Cimignani, Martim Marques (46’ Jhon Espinoza). Coach: Mattia Croci Torti.
Yellow cards: Marques, Mahmoud, Thiago, Vanaken, Steffen, Sabbatini, El Wafi.
Red cards: none
Goals: 62’ Thiago (penalty, 1-0), 96’ Vanaken (2-0).
