After the 3-0 win against Westerlo, we gathered reactions from Maxim De Cuyper and Ronny Deila.
Ronny Deila: "Played very mature"
Club achieved a deserved victory and so coach Ronny Deila could be satisfied with his team.
"It was a good performance. We played very mature. We had control of the game, although it was difficult to dismantle them in the beginning because they played well organized. We didn't give anything away ourselves and grabbed another clean sheet. That's always good. We also scored three goals and maybe could have scored a few more, but then we would have been very efficient. The substitutes also fell in very eagerly."
Igor Thiago scored twice again and already sits at 23 goals this season. The Brazilian started the season hesitantly, but has been unstoppable lately. "How can I explain his metamorphosis? He was not used to the pace in the beginning, because there was a difference with the Bulgarian league after all. He also had to get used to this rapid succession of matches. But now he understands his role and the interaction with his teammates is improving. He has much more balance and self-confidence. He is a target man, has to hold the ball, keep the game simple, put pressure on the defense and be present in the sixteen yards. Meanwhile, he scores with his eyes closed, but he should also thank his teammates because they serve him very well."
Hugo Vetlesen is also raising his level as a defensive midfielder. "Hugo is a very intelligent player who is also very strong technically. At the beginning of the season he was higher up the field next to Hans, but as a six he has a lot of footballing ability which is good in that position to get the game going. He can be very important in that role." (SF)
Maxim De Cuyper: "Full control of the game"
Club Brugge won its first home game of the 2024 calendar year by clear 3-0 scores against Westerlo. Maxim De Cuyper, still at the Kemphans last season, could therefore look back on the match with satisfaction : "I think we had complete control over the match and never got into trouble. I think Simon only had to come into action once. For the rest, Westerlo had no story against our superiority, not even a shame for them because I know from my own experience how difficult it can be to come and play here. Despite the ample superiority, at first we didn't have a very easy time finding the right spaces because Westerlo was well in block. So it was important to stay calm and patient and then you notice that we rewarded ourselves in the second half. So the 2-0 was the proverbial deathblow for them." (MV)