The return game of the Belgian cup semi-final against Union Saint-Gilloise ended in a sorrow defeat for Club as Union opened the scoring through Amoura in the second half and secured their spot in the final in stoppage time when Sykes scored a second.
Blauw-Zwart defended a 2-1 win of the first leg at the Dudenpark. Coach Deila made one change in each of the three zones: Ordóñez forced Spileers on the bench. In midfield Balanta was favoured over Vetlesen, while Thiago returned from suspension to reclaim his position up front, supported by Skov Olsen and Jutglà.
It was Club that immediately claimed the ball in the opening stages and this resulted quickly in a first chance for Skov Olsen. De Cuyper squared the ball to the Danish winger, who cut inside from the right before aiming just too high. Five minutes later Puertas scuffed his finish wide for the hosts. Ten minutes in, Teklab had rounded Mignolet before he was brought down by De Cuyper, but the German had strayed offside, so no penalty was given. Union remained the more threatening side. When De Cuyper misjudged a cross, Amoura teed up Nilsson and he forced Mignolet into making a fine diving save.
Just over halfway the first half Union had a golden opportunity to open the score when Teklab latched onto Machida's through pass and played it in front of goal where Nilsson's shimmy set Rasmussen up to score, but he skied his finish. On the half-hour mark Club again with a De Cuyper corner kick, but Vanhoutte cleared Vanaken's header on the line. A few minutes later Thiago powered through on goal, but his effort took a deflection on Brugess and the ball clipped the outside of the post. Five minutes before the half-time whistle Vanhoutte tried his luck from distance, but it lacked accuracy. Club had the last say in this first half, but Vanaken was thwarted by Moris.
The home side came best out of the dressing room, but it was Club that carved out a first chance after ten minutes. Thiago beat the offside trap, but found Moris on his way and Union fired the rebound over the crossbar. Five minutes later the same three played a key role in another chance for Club: Moris palmed away Thiago's header and kept out Skov Olsen's strike. At the other end Mignolet was called upon as well when Vanhoutte created time and space for a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Twenty minutes before the end Union broke the deadlock when Club failed to get the ball out of the penalty area. When the ball rolled in front of Amoura, the striker didn't hesitate to hammer it in. Almost immediately after that goal there was a second, but Puerta's goalbound strike struck Nielsen on its way. Five minutes before the end Mignolet couldn't continue after he had picked up an injury and he was replaced by Jackers, while Club had restored the balance again. Skóraś tried to win it for Club, but his curling effort wide. Instead it was Union that won it with a stoppage-time goal from Sykes.
Croky Cup – Semi-final (second leg)
Attendance: 9.400 – Stade Joseph Marien
Referee: Lothar D’hondt
Union SG: Anthony Moris – Kevin Mac Allister (20’ Ross Sykes), Christian Burgess, Koki Machida - Alessio Castro-Montes, Charles Vanhoutte, Henok Teklab, Mathias Rasmussen (67’ Lazare Amani), Cameron Puertas – Mohammed Amoura, Gustaf Nilsson.
Bench: Heinz Lindner, Ross Sykes, Noah Sadiki, Lazare Amani, Casper Terho, Elton Kabangu, Dennis Eckert Ayensa.
Coach: Alexander Blessin.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet (85’ Nordin Jackers) – Maxim De Cuyper, Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Bjorn Meijer – Éder Balanta (72’ Hugo Vetlesen), Casper Nielsen, Hans Vanaken - Andreas Skov Olsen, Igor Thiago, Ferran Jutglà (85’ Michał Skóraś).
Bench: Josef Bursik, Nordin Jackers, Denis Odoi, Jorne Spileers, Raphael Onyedika, Hugo Vetlesen, Chemsdine Talbi, Michał Skóraś, Víctor Barberà.
Coach: Ronny Deila.
Yellow cards: Vanaken, Rasmussen, Vanhoutte
Red cards: De Cuyper
Goals: 74' Amoura (1-0), 90+3' Sykes (2-0)
