After another big win against KRC Genk, we grabbed goal scorers Sabbe, Vetlesen and interim coach Hayen by the collar to ask for their two cents.
Kyriani Sabbe: "The road is still long"
Just like last Wednesday, Club Brugge made it out of Genk in the Cegeka Arena by large numbers, including a goal and an assist from Kyriani Sabbe.
"The 0-1 came completely unexpectedly, but it's not our fault that they were fumbling at the back. How the ball went in is actually of no importance because it set us up for a deserved win," the right back said in an initial reaction. "Moreover, the opening goal fell at the right time, just before half-time, so a serious blow for Genk. Although they were able to claim the most possession in the first half, they had trouble finding a hole in our defense. So we didn't give away any open chances and after halftime we played it out very maturely. Whether things are going hard for me now? Somehow yes, but it's also not that everything I do now turns to gold. On the contrary, I don't think I can be really satisfied with my first half performance. Fortunately, I came out much better in the second half, and with my last efforts after that rush with McKenzie, I was able to get the ball up to Vetlesen as he managed to push the 0-2 in quite nicely. It's true that we are having a great run now, so we just have to keep working hard, as the road is still long. We still have four very important games left in the playoffs, and the double confrontation with Fiorentina. These could be historic weeks," concluded a hopeful Kyriani Sabbe. (MV)
Hugo Vetlesen: "Remain very humble"
After the 0-3 in and against Genk, Club Brugge jumped to a provisional (?) first place in the standings and this to the great satisfaction of Hugo Vetlesen, who was able to account for the important second Bruges goal on a Kyriani Sabbe pass. The Norwegian was happy to address the press accordingly.
"Just like on Wednesday, we're playing hard against Genk, which had been very good in recent weeks. This win away from home really does us a lot of good. We can be particularly happy about our second half performance, as things were not so good in the first 45 minutes. But during the break we made some adjustments and then you notice that we are able to impose our game on the opponent."
Whether Club can now also count on the luck of champions? "Gosh...my goal against Union is not really luck, but just having a clear view of the game. Today we did indeed have that touch of luck with that opening goal, but so be it...those count too, don't they. It just comes down to working hard every day and this is what we do as a team. At home against Genk I was not there due to suspension and then you notice that four others managed to score. Today I scored again, but in itself it is not important who scores and the team's interest always comes first. Whether we are the biggest candidate for the title? I leave that up to you. For us, the key remains to maintain focus and look at it one game at a time. At the start of the playoffs, nobody gave us any chance and now we are right at the top. However, we must not start floating, but just stay very humble and keep both feet very firmly on the ground," concluded a realistic Hugo Vetlesen. (MV)
Nicky Hayen: "We are having a momentum"
Another solid victory against KRC Genk makes sure Club added another one to their win streak. That obviously made interim coach Hayen very happy.
"If you see how the players give themselves on the pitch, I have nothing but compliments for them," the coach began. "The difference between Wednesday and now is just intensity. We found the right spaces right away on Wednesday, but today they came and put higher pressure and had a higher intensity. We struggled with that. Our circulation also was not up to par, and we tried to correct that at halftime. Our efficiency is high and so we have been scoring a lot lately. I can only be satisfied with that. We are having a momentum and should try to keep it as long as possible. You can see that the boys are fighting for each other and giving each other everything. The victory tastes sweet and that makes sense, but we already want to shift the focus back to Thursday," concluded a satisfied Nicky Hayen.