On matchday 7 of the Champions' Play-Offs Club hosted KAA Gent for another "Battle of Flanders". The visitors opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark, but Vermant erased that lead with a deserved equaliser in the first half's stoppage time. Minutes after the break he scored his second. Club quickly put the game to bed with two more goals by Tzolis before an hour was played. Next up is the cup final against Anderlecht on Sunday!
Blauw-Zwart could have picked up all three points against Union last Sunday, but had to settle for a point after a scoreless draw. So, few reasons for head coach Nicky Hayen to tinker with his line-up, yet he opted for the attacking trio Tzolis, Talbi and Vermant which meant Jutglà was on the bench. In midfield Vetlesen replaced Onyedika, who sat out a one-match ban. Jackers retained his position between the sticks as Mignolet hadn't fully recovered from his chest injury.
Club took control from the first whistle, asserting their dominance in possession and immediately pushing forward with intent, carving out a couple of early half-chances. Tzolis forced Vandenberghe into an early save in the first minute and Vanaken saw his deflected shot loop on top of the crossbar. When Talbi clipped in a cross, Vetlesen headed the ball just wide. Vandenberghe then was equal to the efforts of Tzolis – his strike was too central – and De Cuyper – he half-volleyed Sabbe's cross into the arms of Gent's goalie.
Gent weathered the storm and found their feet again after ten minutes play, fashioning a few promising chances. Torunarigha surged forward from deep in his own half, cutting through the midfield, before unleashing a low drive from the edge of the box that trickled just wide. Fifteen minutes in, Jackers needed to palm away Goore's effort.
After that short spell, Club were on top of the game again. Tzolis was earlier on the ball than Vandenberghe, who had rushed out, squared it to Vermant and the young forward directed it goalwards, but saw it saved on the line by a defender. Araújo, for Gent, and Sabbe, for Club, tried their luck from distance, but it was Jashari who had a good chance to break the deadlock when Talbi picked out the Switzerland international, but his header sailed over the crossbar. At the other end Goore failed to get his effort on target.
Halfway the first half, after a brief water break, Gent again created a few dangerous moments. Fadiga skipped past De Cuyper and fired a shot toward goal, but it rippled the side-netting instead. Moments later Gent did found the opening goal when Vanzeir was played in down the right and his low cross behind Club's defence was pounced home by Gandelman.
Club's response was immediate: De Cuyper whipped in a great cross for Tzolis, but the Greek's well-struck effort was saved by Vandenberghe. Gent soaked up the pressure, but were lucky when Club hit the post twice in a space of five seconds. First Watanabe cleared Vanaken's shot on the line, clipping the ball against the post. Mechele was first on the rebound and his shot was saved by Vandenberghe, deflecting it against the post again.
Blauw-Zwart pressed for the equaliser. De Cuyper's long-distance drive went high over the target, but Club did manage to erase Gent's opening goal in stoppage time. A defencive error from Torunarigha allowed Tzolis to move forward and play the ball into the feet of Vermant. He did not hesitate before drilling an unstoppable strike from the edge of the area: 1-1 at the break.
Hayen made one change at half-time by bringing on Siquet for Sabbe. That was the only significant difference, because the second half was more of the same with Club dominating the pace of the match. Vetlesen headed a cross into the arms of Vandenberghe, but after five minutes Club were in the drivers' seat again when Vermant picked up the loose ball, after Tzolis' shot was blocked, and hammered it past Vandenberghe to bag his brace.
Club pushed through. Vandenberghe spilled Siquet's cross, but Tzolis blasted it against the crossbar from close range. Another Siquet cross found Vetlesen at the back post, but Vandenberghe was again equal to the Norwegian's header. But then Club raced into a comfortable lead with two goals in quick succession. Tzolis, on the left-hand side, cut to his right foot and arched the ball brilliantly in the top corner to make it 3-1. Three minutes later the Greek had his brace as well when he fired home from closeby.
With still half an hour to go, Hayen made three changes and the intensity levels dropped significantly. Gandelman did have a solid chance for the visitors, but saw his second of the afternoon thwarted by a good defensive move by Jashari.
Club was still looking to add a fifth goal, but substitute Nilsson was unlucky and Jutglà saw his strike go wide from an acute angle.
The referee added two minutes of stoppage time in which Club had the final say. Skóraś guided Nilsson through on goal, but Vandenberghe did great to keep out the Swede's effort. A few moments later he was also equal to the effort of Meijer.
The score didn't change anymore and so Club wins the "Battle of Flanders" again with flying colours. Next up is the cup final on Sunday against Anderlecht!
Jupiler Pro League – Champions’ Play-offs: Matchday 7
Attendance: 29.042 – Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Wim Smet
Club Brugge: Nordin Jackers – Kyriani Sabbe (46’ Hugo Siquet), Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper (65’ Gustaf Nilsson) – Hugo Vetlesen, Ardon Jashari, Hans Vanaken (65’ Bjorn Meijer) – Christos Tzolis, Romeo Vermant (65’ Ferran Jutglà), Chemsdine Talbi (75’ Michał Skóraś).
Bench: Axl De Corte, Zaid Romero, Ferran Jutglà, Bjorn Meijer, Gustaf Nilsson, Michał Skóraś, Casper Nielsen, Hugo Siquet, Jorne Spileers.
Coach: Nicky Hayen.
KAA Gent: Tom Vandenberghe – Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Jordan Torunarigha (58’ Samuel Kotto), Archie Brown – Noah Fadiga (58’ Gilles De Meyer), Mathias Delorge (84’ Momodou Lamin Sonko), Atsuki Ito, Omri Gandelman, Tiago Araújo (84’ Tibe De Vlieger) – Dante Vanzeir, Hyllarion Goore (66’ Aimé Omgba).
Bench: Célestin De Schrevel, Samuel Kotto, Andri Gudjohnsen, Aimé Omgba, Momodou Lamin Sonko, Stefan Mitrovic, Franck Surdez, Tibe De Vlieger, Gilles De Meyer.
Coach: Danijel Milićević.
Yellow cards: Torunarigha
Red cards: none
Goals: 33’ Gandelman (0-1), 45+1’ Vermant (1-1), 50’ Vermant (2-1), 57’ Tzolis (3-1), 60’ Tzolis (4-1)