Club Brugge won the topper against KRC Genk 2-0. Blauw-Zwart showed the better of the Limburgers, but seemed to get the lid on their noses fifteen minutes before time when Genk was awarded a penalty. Mignolet grabbed Tolu's eleven-meter and immediately after, Brandon Mechele headed Club into the lead. Moments later, Skov Olsen provided the final decision.
Nicky Hayen made two changes to the team that beat Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. The recovered Gustaf Nilsson was allowed to start for the first time since September, while Chemsdine Talbi was also given a starting place. Jutglà and Skov Olsen ended up on the bench as a result. Blauw-Zwart was four points behind leader KRC Genk and hoped to narrow the gap.
The Bruggelings had gained confidence in the Champions League and started very strongly. Vanaken headed a Seys cross just two minutes after the game. After ten minutes a great opportunity followed after a great attack: Seys passed the ball with an ingenious heel to Talbi, who found De Cuyper at the second post. The left back put the ball ready for Tzolis, but the Greek shot inches wide. Shortly after, another attempt by Tzolis went a meter wide. The only counter was a shot by Tolu, which went wide.
The pace slowed down, but Club remained the most threatening team. A shot by Tzolis went wide and a volley by the Greek also went wide of the Genk goal, via Steuckers. Ten minutes before half time, Blauw-Zwart again came very close to the opening goal: Onyedika put the Genk defense on the wrong foot, but his shot hit the post. Shortly after, Van Crombrugge caught an attempt by Talbi, while Nilsson could not take advantage of a miss at the back of Genk.
After the break, the Brugge side claimed a penalty after Kayembe touched a Seys cross with his hand in the sixteen meters. However, referee Vergoote did not see a penalty and VAR did not intervene either. Moments later, Heynen was able to intercept a cross from Seys and a long-distance shot from Nilsson went wide. In between, Tolu was also unable to frame his header.
Twenty minutes before time, Club had another good chance: Talbi was able to reach Jashari with a subtle ball, but the Swiss kicked the ball wide. Instead of 1-0, however, it seemed to become 0-1. Tolu eagerly lay down after a duel with Ordóñez, but ref Vergoote pointed to the spot. Tolu took his own responsibility, but Mignolet chose the right corner to keep the score zero on the board. Thanks to that penalty miss, the flame suddenly flared: Van Crombrugge floated a Jashari shot out of the top corner, an Ordóñez header went wide and the Genk goalkeeper also pushed a Tzolis effort into the side netting. The ensuing corner kick was headed in by Brandon Mechele, finally giving Club payback.
The visitors tried to respond, but it was Club that continued to chase a second goal. A header by Mechele first went wide, but five minutes before time the 2-0 finally came. Hans Vanaken surprised Genk by laying a free kick aside to the free Skov Olsen, who shot the ball delightfully in time. In the closing stages Club was not in trouble again. A hard shot by Onyedika went wide in the final seconds. Blauw-Zwart took an important three points and is now one point behind leader Genk.
Jupiler Pro League - Match day 18
Spectators: 28,000 - Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Jasper Vergoote
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Joaquin Seys (90+2' Kyriani Sabbe), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper - Raphael Onyedika, Ardon Jashari - Chemsdine Talbi (74' Andreas Skov Olsen), Hans Vanaken, Christos Tzolis (88' Casper Nielsen) - Gustaf Nilsson (74' Romeo Vermant). Bench: Nordin Jackers, Argus Vanden Driessche, Zaid Romero, Ferran Jutglà, Hugo Vetlesen and Jorne Spileers. Coach: Nicky Hayen.
KRC Genk: Hendrik Van Crombrugge - Zakaria El Ouahdi, Mujaid Sadick (82' Carlos Cuesta), Matte Smets, Joris Kayembe - Bryan Heynen, Patrik Hrošovský (82' Konstantinos Karetsas), Nikolas Sattlberger (75' Ibrahima Sory Bangoura) - Jarne Steuckers, Tolu Arokodare, Noah Adedeji-Sternberg (82' Hyeon-gyu Oh). Coach: Thorsten Fink.
Yellow cards: Sadick, Ordóñez, Vanaken, Skov Olsen.
Red cards: none
Goals: 77' Mechele (1-0), 86' Skov Olsen (2-0).