Ice-strong Club Brugge knocks off FC Porto 0-4!

On the second match day of the UEFA Champions League, Blue-Black headed to Porto. Jutglà gave Club the lead from the spot in the first half. After a fantastic second half, the score deepened to 0-4 after goals from Sowah, Skov Olsen and Nusa. Club is boasting 6 out of 6!

Blauw-Zwart recorded an important home victory against Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day of the UEFA Champions League. Due to the busy schedule, coach Hoefkens opted to rotate his squad on Saturday against Seraing. That worked out well, but as expected, the same eleven starters started against FC Porto as in the match against Leverkusen. For the home team, the most notable name was Otávio, an important player who returned from injury.

Club started the match patiently, but in the fourth minute Nielsen lost the ball in midfield. Porto quickly switched gears and eventually Galeno kicked the ball into the side netting. A few minutes later, Blauw-Zwart also poked its nose in the window for once. After a nice combination on the flank, Skov Olsen crossed the ball well. In the end, Jutglà failed to kick and Sowah's shot was blocked twice. On the quarter hour we suddenly got a quick breakout from Club and João Mário hooked Jutglà in the sixteen. The ref decisively pointed to the spot and Jutglà himself coolly kicked the lead for the visitors into the corner. A dream scenario for the Bruges players, but of course Porto had to come now...

They tried that through Otávio who found Pepê with a nice ball. However, Mignolet reacted alertly and pulled the longest straw after the 1-on-1 situation. It was mainly the fast flanks that tried to hurt Club, but Club did not leave themselves unprotected either. Sowah excellently intercepted a wrong pass, but his effort was from too sharp an angle to outsmart Diogo Costa. The home team did have most of the ball possession, but it was Club that was able to threaten shortly before halftime. Vanaken had some space, but his place ball went wide of the post. A few minutes later it was Skov Olsen's turn, but he didn't hit the ball cleanly enough to put the leather in the far corner. We went to rest with 0-1!

The second half started with two new names at Porto, but it was Club that had a perfect start. Vanaken played the ball centrally to Jutglà, who, while lying down, just managed to tap the leather. Sowah reacted alertly and slid the double into goal next to Diogo Costa. This gave the visitors a huge boost and 5 minutes later it was 0-3! Meijer cleverly passed his man and had a ditto cross in store. The ball shot through to the far post and there Skov Olsen did not hesitate to once again shake the nets. Porto did try to regain some balance, but Club remained well organized.

This meant that Porto could hardly create any concrete goal danger. Blauw-Zwart was able to threaten through Yaremchuk. His header from close range on Nielsen's free kick was saved by Diogo Costa. In the last 10 minutes it was also time for Mignolet to show himself a few more times. First, he stopped a header from close range and also did not let a cross-shot from Borges pass. Soon after, Wendell tried from distance, but his shot was stranded over the crossbar. In minute 85, Club scored the best shot of the match: they beat Porto to the punch and Onyedika's effort unfortunately hit the post.

This was going to be another wonderful organ point on the performance of a rock-solid Blue-Black, but it finally came! Nusa slipped through the offside trap and put the absolute icing on the cake with a clever goal. Club thus put on a complete performance on all levels and start the UEFA Champions League with 6 out of 6!

UEFA Champions League - Playday 2
Spectators: 50,033 - Estádio do Dragão
Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos
FC Porto: Diogo Costa - João Mário (46' Danny Namaso), Pepe (c), David Carmo, Zaidu (76' Wendell) - Otávio (61' Gonçalo Borges), Mateus Uribe, Stephen Eustaquio, Wenderson Galeno (61' Gabriel Veron) - Pepê, Evanilson (46' Toni Martinez).
Bench: Cláudio Ramos, Fábio Cardoso, Marcano, Gabriel Veron, Grujic, Rodrigo Conceição, Danny Namaso, André Franco, Wendell, Bruno Costa, Toni Martínez, Gonçalo Borges.
Coach: Sérgio Conceição.

Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet - Denis Odoi, Brandon Mechele, Abakar Sylla (65' Dedryck Boyata) - Andreas Skov Olsen (71' Roman Yaremchuk), Casper Nielsen, Raphael Onyedika, Hans Vanaken (c), Bjorn Meijer (75' Eduard Sobol) - Kamal Sowah, Ferran Jutglà (75' Antonio Nusa).
Bench: Senne Lammens, Eduard Sobol, Dedryck Boyata, Éder Balanta, Lynnt Audoor, Cisse Sandra, Cyle Larin, Antonio Nusa, Roman Yaremchuk.
Coach: Carl Hoefkens.

Yellow cards: João Mário, Onyedika, Odoi, Nielsen, Carmo
Red cards: none
Goals: 15' Jutglà (0-1), 47' Sowah (0-2), 52' Skov Olsen (0-3), 89' Nusa (0-4)