Brandon Mechele: "Keeping the zero on the scoreboard is pleasing"
Brandon Mechele was satisfied after the victory over Sturm Graz. "You leave here with the three points and that is more than deserved. The fact that we kept the zero on the scoreboard is hugely pleasing." The defender was pleased with their performance, but would have preferred the match to be decided sooner. "We needed to finish the match faster. However, we had enough chances to do that. You know it can always get dangerous then, but we kept control of the game."
The tactical analysis on the opponent helped the team well, according to Mechele. "We were warned about the pressing, although I actually expected a little more of it. We always came out well soccer-wise. The trainers had given us the solutions and we acted accordingly and accomplished the task."
In three weeks, the tactical analysis will have to be carefully drafted again, as the match against AC Milan will follow. Mechele, who has always been a fan of Club Brugge, remembers that match: "I know Andrés Mendoza scored there and Danny Verlinden played strong goalkeeping." On Oct. 22, 2024, it will be 21 years to the day. "Maybe it's written in the stars to accomplish something like that there again?" concludes an ambitious Mechele.
Christos Tzolis: "This is not yet the best Tzolis"
The reaction of the man of the match (officially confirmed by UEFA) could of course not be missed. "My first goal in the Champions League and my first Man of the Match trophy. This is really a dream. It was always a dream to be here." Though Tzolis is especially pleased with the team's performance. "It's another step up. Both for me and for the team. We can build on this."
But how did the only goal scorer of this match experience his goal himself? "My first check was ideal to shoot right away. I lined up at the perfect angle and was happy to hit that ball perfectly. A top goal, even if I say so myself." It tastes like more, both for the supporters and the player himself. Is Tzolis at his peak? "This is not yet the best Tzolis. I can still do much better, that's why I'm here at Club Brugge."
Hans Vanaken: "We accomplished this mission."
Captain Hans Vanaken was also impressed with Christos Tzolis' goal. "Great shot in. You can't say much else about it. Good control, a nice assist from Onyedika and beautifully put in by Tzolis." Vanaken was pleased with his team's control of the game, but would have preferred to have seen the score deepened. "We had the ball a lot. We got another big chance through Jutglà that we really should have made, but it didn't happen. That would have made it easier for us, though."
Whether the captain is already dreaming of a win at AC Milan, which has not picked up any points so far, he would not say. "We would very much like to stunt there, but for now let's just enjoy this win against Sturm Graz. We had to get this one in so that we could later advance to the next round. This mission we have accomplished." There is no time to dream. "Now important league games follow, such as Sunday against Union; that's where our focus is now," Hans Vanaken concluded.
Nicky Hayen: "I am indeed definitely relieved."
Blauw-Zwart recorded its first win in the renewed UEFA Champions League, and coach Hayen was therefore relieved after the match. "I am indeed definitely relieved," the Club coach began his analysis. "There was already talk of a 'must win' game, and in theory that is true. I had also said that this is a game you better win to keep your ambitions cool. You could see from today's performance that we absolutely wanted to win this match."
The match was not exactly brimming with chances. "Against Dortmund we got a lot of chances and didn't score a goal. Today we played with two sixes to limit their transition and do remain dominant on the ball. We opted for more stability, and the chances we got we had to try to finish. We talked about being clinical and stable, and I think we played a very mature game in that area today. We could have scored a second goal in the end through Jutglà, and if Vermant had made a better choice, we could have extended the score as well. However, I think we defended well today, stood well as a team and gave little away."
At the end of the first half, Club allowed the home team to come into the game a bit more. "That wasn't immediate doubt, but we started doing different things. That in itself is not a bad thing, but then other positions have to be filled well. If you don't do that, you get a different dynamic in the game. We tried to correct that at halftime. What we were less satisfied with was the fact that we could change sides regularly in the first half, but we did that much less in the second half. Those are things we need to improve."
Ordóñez and Tzolis played another strong game and received kudos from the coach. Joel Ordóñez, in my opinion, can still go very far because he still has some growth potential. A year and a half ago, he was still playing with me at Club NXT. If you see the steps he has made in the short term, it is promising. Of course there are still working points, such as in ball possession and playability. But when you see the maturity with which he played today, it is promising. As for Tzolis, he also played strong again and performed his defensive duties well. He is also very conscientious, and for a coach that is a pleasure to put him on the field."
Nilsson could not be there this evening. "Gustaf Nilsson had a slight Achilles tendon injury and did not feel 100 percent ready to play. Even sitting on the bench was not good, as he could not sprint 100 percent. Then you also have to make that choice as a function of the weekend. We hope he will be fit again by then."
Skov Olsen was replaced at halftime, and the coach also explained. "I just made the substitution and then you start adjusting on the things that could be better in the second half. So he will still get that feedback."
The next assignment in the UEFA Champions League is in and against AC Milan, which has started 0 on 6. "That could maybe be a positive for us, because that means they have to come out more than us. However, I don't want to look too far ahead, and basically I'm not looking beyond to now Sunday. You talk about a "must win" game, but for me it felt like the Champions League was completely over if we lost today. Anything can happen in soccer, and probably no one thought AC Milan would start 0 on 6. It remains unpredictable, and that's the beauty of soccer. Every chance you get, you have to try to make the most of it. This three-pointer today means that we keep our ambitions cool and continue to believe fully in our chances."
Finally, the coach also wanted a word about Jashari's match. "I think Ardon Jashari played a very good game today. He played very disciplined and made the right choices on the ball. Together with Raphael Onyedika, he was stable in front of the defense. I think he played a good game today and made the competition for that position sharper. It's not always easy for new players to adapt to the Belgian league, to the players, to the intensity. You just have to be patient with that, and unfortunately that is not always the case at a top club; you have to be there immediately. Eventually you see that talent rises to the top sooner or later. However, one swallow does not make spring, so he has to keep confirming. He is a boy who is positive in life, though, and wants to keep working hard to get better every day. Day by day he gets better, and sometimes it's just being patient until you get your chance. Today was the right one. He came from the European Championships and also had to connect later, so he started slightly behind. Then you want to force it, because in a normal preparation you can do that steadily. That was not the case now, and he started to force certain things. I'm not going to say that he started doubting himself, but we had to keep him calm and say that everything will be fine. He's a guy who has a lot of confidence, but also someone you have to give a lot of confidence to. Then in the end you see what he is capable of," concluded a satisfied Nicky Hayen.