Club Brugge recorded a 1-2 victory at the Westerlo field. Tzolis gave Blauw-Zwart an early lead and shortly before half-time Tresoldi also scored. Kimura still scored against, but Club did hold on to the three points.
Ivan Leko had to make one forced substitution compared to last week's topper against Anderlecht: Brandon Mechele was not one hundred percent fit to start due to illness and was replaced at center back by Jorne Spileers. In the first round Club-Westerlo ended after a crazy game at 5-5 and again the Kemphans showed from the opening minute that they wanted to make things difficult for Blauw-Zwart. Westerlo started strong, but after five minutes the Bridge Kings struck mercilessly. After a corner kick, a distance shot by Haspolat was deflected and then it went arrow-straight across. Forbs launched Tzolis, who was able to storm alone towards goal. The Greek rounded goalkeeper Jungdal and kicked the ball into the goal via the underside of the crossbar.
The home side then tried to respond, but Mignolet saved a shot by Piedfort while two attempts by Sakamoto were unsuccessful. At the other end, shots from Stanković and Forbs were blocked, and Spileers - albeit from offside - also just couldn't score. The best chance for Westerlo fell on the half hour: Alcocer lashed out with a clever shot but Mignolet shook a fine save out of his sleeves.
Club tried to control the match and struck a second time ten minutes before halftime: Tresoldi cleverly plucked a pass from Sabbe out of the air and tapped the 0-2 into goal. The twelfth league goal for the German striker and his first outside the Jan Breydel Stadium. The home team tried to counter, but got no further than a corner kick that blew past everyone and everything.
Hans Vanaken injured his groin on the stroke of halftime and remained in the locker room. Hugo Vetlesen was his replacement. Westerlo went looking for the tying goal in the second half and created a few chances: Sakamoto curled the ball just over the goal, a deviation by Bayram went wide and another attempt by Sakamoto was blocked. The Kempenaars kept pushing and managed to score after twenty minutes, when Kimura headed in a corner kick.
Westerlo went in search of more, but it was Club that missed the chance to decide the match definitively 15 minutes before time. Tresoldi deflected a cross from Meijer towards goal, but Jungdal made a fine save. Sabbe's rebound ended up in the side net. In the end, the home side went all out: Haspolat's shot sailed just over the bar and Mignolet had a great reflex on Bayram's header. It remained 1-2, leaving the gap with leaders Union three points.
Jupiler Pro League - Matchday 29
Spectators: 8,000 - Het Kuipje
Referee: Bram Van Driessche
KVC Westerlo: Andreas Jungdal - Bryan Reynolds, Emin Bayram, Roman Neustädter (85' Naoufal Bohamdi-Kamoni), Seiji Kimura - Arthur Piedfort, Dogucan Haspolat, Isa Sakamoto - Shunsuke Saito (77' Thomas Van den Keybus), Nacho Ferri (85' Afonso Patrao), Josimar Alcocer. Coach: Issame Charai.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Kyriani Sabbe, Joel Ordóñez, Jorne Spileers, Joaquin Seys (73' Bjorn Meijer) - Aleksandar Stanković, Raphael Onyedika, Hans Vanaken (46' Hugo Vetlesen) - Carlos Forbs (73' Romeo Vermant), Nicolò Tresoldi (82' Gustaf Nilsson), Christos Tzolis. Bank: Nordin Jackers, Hugo Siquet, Brandon Mechele, Félix Lemaréchal, Mamadou Diakhon and Gustaf Nilsson. Coach: Ivan Leko.
Yellow cards: Piedfort, Spileers, Nilsson.
Red cards: none
Goals: 6' Tzolis (0-1), 35' Tresoldi (0-2), 64' Kimura (1-2).