Club winters European thanks to 3-0 win against Zenit

Club Brugge secured a handsome 3-0 win against Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Champions League. Charles De Ketelaere gave Blauw-Zwart the lead and after halftime Vanaken and Lang provided the final decision. Club is therefore already certain of the Europa League, but if it wins next week in Rome, it will even advance to the Champions League!

The team that kicked off against Mouscron on Saturday underwent two changes. Federico Ricca came into the team as left back, allowing Charles De Ketelaere to play as center striker. Emmanuel Dennis also started as a right back. David Okereke and Michael Krmenčík had to settle for a place on the bench. Mats Rits (suspended) and Krépin Diatta (injured) were both absent.

Club needed just a point to winter in Europe and started very eagerly. Zenit, however, put everything on hold, making it difficult to find openings. The first danger came through shots from Lang and Dennis, but both attempts were blocked. The Russians meanwhile lurked on the counter and could even score at the first counter-punch. However, Azmoun's goal was disallowed for offside. Immediately afterwards De Ketelaere launched Lang with an ingenious heel, but a Russian foot blocked the passage.

Blauw-Zwart continued to apply high pressure and was rewarded for it shortly after the half-hour mark. A low cross from Ricca was cleared into the feet of Charles De Ketelaere, who popped the 1-0 high into the goal. Club kept pushing and came very close to a second goal: after a corner kick by Vormer, Vanaken headed the ball towards the far corner, but goalkeeper Kerzhakov saved. On the stroke of half-time the Russian goalkeeper was also in the way on a hard shot by Noa Lang.

Zenit coach Semak was clearly not satisfied and made a triple substitution at halftime. One of the substitutes was Mostovoy and he was able to score right away. Admittedly by hand and so the goal was rightly disallowed. The Russians started the second half very eagerly, but it was Club that was able to strike: De Ketelaere was hooked in the sixteen meters and so the Dutch referee Gözübüyük pointed to the spot. Hans Vanaken didn't hesitate and smashed the eleven-meter into the net.

Club was on fire and was never in trouble. The Bruggelings played with confidence and went in search of a third goal. After a cross from Vormer, Vanaken's header hit the roof of the goal, but twenty minutes before time, the 3-0 was still a fact: Dennis served Noa Lang in the sixteen meters and he blasted the 3-0 wonderfully into the net.

In the closing stages, Sutormin hit the crossbar, while a shot by substitute Okereke went just wide. The result was 3-0, Club Brugge's first home victory in the Champions League since 2005. Blauw-Zwart is already sure of a place in the Europa League, but if it wins next week against Lazio Roma, it will advance to the 1/8th finals of the Champions League.

Champions League: Group F - Playday 5
Spectators: none - Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Ned)
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Clinton Mata (91' Thomas Van den Keybus), Odilon Kossounou, Brandon Mechele, Federico Ricca - Ruud Vormer (87' Siebe Schrijvers), Éder Balanta, Hans Vanaken (87' David Okereke) - Emmanuel Dennis, Charles De Ketelaere, Noa Lang (87' Eduard Sobol). Bench: Ethan Horvath, Michael Krmenčík, Simon Deli, Youssouph Badji and Ignace Van der Brempt. Coach: Philippe Clement.
Zenit Saint Petersburg: Mikhail Kerzhakov - Aleksei Sutormin, Danila Prokhin, Yaroslav Rakitskiy (46' Danil Krugovoj), Douglas Santos - Aleksandr Erokhin (46' Magomed Ozdoev), Wilmar Barrios, Daler Kuzyaev (65' Leon Musaev) - Malcom (74' Daniil Shamkin), Sardar Azmoun, Sebastian Driussi (46' Andrei Mostovoy). Coach: Sergei Semak.
Yellow cards: Sutormin.
Red cards: none
Goals: 33' De Ketelaere (1-0), 58' Vanaken (penalty, 2-0), 73' Lang (3-0).

Text: Steven Floin