Hans Vanaken: "Movement and rotation in midfield created more space"
Hans Vanaken was voted man of the match by UEFA. Both offensively and defensively, the Bruges captain called the shots. The start of the game came with some worry, however. "It was an intense start and an awful one too. We concede through that penalty and are unlucky not to get one. Just before halftime we then get behind 0-2 and then you know it could be a very difficult game."
In the locker room, the main focus was on organization. The many movements of the visitors made for a difficult match. Vanaken explained what went better in the second half: "We started to rotate and move more in midfield. This opened up more space and we started to play better football. I myself also started looking for the ball more, which gave Onyedika, for example, more space offensively."
About the return game, Vanaken is especially happy that there is still something to play for. "If we can keep this feeling, we have nothing to lose. First up is OH Leuven on Saturday. If we bring the same attitude, anything is possible."
Simon Mignolet: "We hurt the opponent by scoring at the right moments"
Another five star performance by goalie Simon Mignolet. Conceding three is never what you would expect, but Simon could reflect on an inspired night between the sticks. "They are bitter goals to swallow. A penalty, a goal in stoppage time ánd an owngoal. It was clear to us we had to come out of the dressing room with a solid reply."
And it did so with panache. "When things don't go the way you want, you have to show resilience. We executed that to a tee. We kept playing free football, and really hurt our opponents by scoring with great timing. Both last weekend against Cercle Brugge and today we kept fighting as a team."
About the return game, Mignolet sees opportunities. "This match should really give us confidence. If we show the same next week, there is definitely something in it. If we then also have a bit more luck on our side, it's definitely possible."