Club Bruges won the ‘Topper’ against Anderlecht (3-1) on Sunday for the 2nd day of the Jupiler Pro League Champions Playoffs. The RSCA remains 2nd with 35 points and does not benefit from the 2-3 defeat of Union Saint-Gilloise, which remains leader, against Cercle Bruges. Club Brugge is in 3rd place with 30 points.
The match got off to a flying start with Brandon Mechele opening the scoring after three minutes. The Bruges defender deceived the vigilance of the Anderlecht defense to put Bruges in control (3rd, 1-0).
The ‘Blauw & Zwart’ continued their momentum and Michael Skoras put Kasper Schmeichel to work (8th). Anderlecht let the storm pass and got a first opportunity with a breakthrough from Thorgan Hazard whose cross crossed the Bruges rectangle (23rd).
Nicky Hayen’s players continued their domination and Hugo Vetlesen, blocked by Zeno Debast, made it 2-0 (27th). Debast then made an error which could have been fatal without a bad choice from Igor Thiago (31st). Anderlecht had the opportunity to equalize at the end of the first period but Anders Dreyer forgot to serve Hazard (45th).
The intensity did not drop in the second half. However, we had to wait for a first opportunity with a shot from Thiago which grazed Schmeichel’s post (59th). Raphael Onyedika finally put Bruges away three minutes later with a powerful strike from 25m (62nd, 2-0).
On the ropes, Anderlecht tried to react via Francis Amuzu but Nordin Jackers prevented the Brussels resident from reducing the score (74th). Onyedika finally scored twice at the end of the match to validate Bruges’ success (89th, 3-0) before Dreyer reduced the score (90th+1, 3-1).
Second defeat in a row for the Union
A week after a setback at Genk (1-0), Union Saint-Gilloise suffered another defeat during the 2nd day of the Champions Playoffs on Sunday. At the Marien stadium, the Union conceded two goals in quick succession at the start of the match and finally lost 2-3 against Cercle de Bruges.
Cercle surprised the Union in the fifth minute. On a long ball, Leonardo Lopes controlled with his chest and deceived Charles Vanhoutte with a feint. The ball arrived at Alan Minda, who scored with a rebound (5th). Bruges hit the nail on the head a minute later. After a duel won by Warleson against Gustaf Nilsson, the visitors quickly countered. Minda found Félix Lemaréchal alone in the rectangle and the latter transmitted with a touch to Kevin Denkey, who shot into the empty goal (6th).
The Union pushed to come back but stumbled for a long time against the opposing defense, like a good save by Warleson on Alessio Castro-Montes (27th). The Brussels residents finally reduced the gap thanks to a penalty from Nilsson (45th + 3) obtained by Loïc Lapoussin, caught in the rectangle.
In the second half, Cameron Puertas (48th) then Nilsson (53rd) narrowly missed the equalizer but the Union conceded the break goal (71st). Alone against Anthony Moris, Minda gave Thibo Somers a step back who just had to push the ball into the empty goal (71st). In added time, Dennis Eckert once again reduced the gap (90th + 2). Elton Kabangu beat a Warleson exit and found the German alone in the area.
