Club loses Battle of Flanders from AA Gent, Union leader extends further
Before the break, Club continued at the unconvincing level of the past few weeks, but just when the Bruges team seemed to grab the visitors from Ghent by the scruff, the Buffalos struck mercilessly hard and efficiently. Stanley N’Soki covered the wrong side with Tarik Tissoudali and the Moroccan international offered Andrew Hjulsager, who has been on a good run lately, the 0-1.
Club coach Alfred Schreuder is still searching and left his compatriots Bas Dost and Ruud Vormer in the dressing room at half time, just like a few days ago in Ghent. This time in their place came newcomers Andreas Skov Olsen and Sargis Adamyan.
Afterwards, Tajon Buchanan and Mats Rits were also taken aside for Eder Balanta and Noa Lang, but to no avail. Just like before the break, Blauw-Zwart skilfully cut through the Ghent knife, Tissoudali underlined his excellent match with the 0-2. The substitute Vadis succeeded moments later against his ex-team egg after the 0-3.
Second yellow for Balanta, red for Lang
The third Ghent goal was not scored and so there was still some tension in the match. Charles De Ketelaere, about the only threatening Bruggeling, made good use of it by heading in the connecting goal after a corner at the first post, with fifteen minutes to play. However, it was barely kicked off when the star Tissoudali appeared to deliver the death blow on the other side, the VAR ruled that the ball had crossed the goal line just before.
The home team still had to empty the chalice to the bottom and saw substitutes Balanta and Lang being excluded deep into the added time. Balanta for a second yellow card, Lang for an insult to referee Laforge. The Dutchman is this season in all competitions together on ten yellow and one red card and is ready for reflection.
Club third, Ghent sixth in standings
After the first defeat under Schreuder, Club Brugge drops to third place in the standings, already twelve points behind leader Union. The team from Brussels went on to win 0-2 on the Antwerp field on Saturday evening and have a ten-point lead over The Great Old in the standings.
AA Gent is sixth after its first league win since mid-December. The people of Ghent, however, have their revenge for the Bekernedelaag earlier this week, when the West Flemish arch-rival came to win 0-1 in the Ghelamco Arena. At the beginning of March, both teams will face each other again in the return leg of the semi-finals.
With the recent eight out of fifteen on the tables in the league since Schreuder’s arrival, Club sees fourth in the standings, Charleroi, approaching five points. The Karolos opened this matchday with a 2-0 win against Seraing. Anderlecht can approach three points if the Purple & White keep the points at home against Eupen on Sunday evening.