Club Brugge has lost the clash with Anderlecht, suffering a 1-2 defeat. It started out so well after Ferran Jutglà had taken Club in the lead twenty minutes into the game, but it all fell apart by the end after substitutes Vazquez and Angulo made it 1-2.
Three personnel changes in Ronny Deila's outfit that had drawn at Cercle. Jorne Spileers coming on for Joel Ordóñez, while in midfield the recovered Hugo Vetlesen replaced Éder Balanta. Up front, Ferran Jutglà was given the opportunity to fill the shoes of the suspended Igor Thiago.
The gap between the two teams on the table grown to alarming dimensions, Club was all too eager to creep closer and started out well. Nonetheless, Dolberg's attempt ending in the side netting was the first real danger in the game. Club reacted with a fine attack ending in Vetlesen trying his luck from just outside the box, but the ball went just over the crossbar. Moments later Nusa saw his shott blocked, while Skov Olsen was also unable to set up the young Norwegian. A tack at goal would clearly have been the better option. Anderlecht also kept asking the Club defense questions, and Club was fortunate to see the opener cancelled out due to a prior off-side position by Dolberg.
An intense opening few resulted in a goal, and it was the hosts that celebrated: a deflected cross was neatly headed towards goal by Vanaken to find Ferran Jutglà by the far post to tap in the 1-0 from close range. Anderlecht reacted through a hard Stroeykens shot, but Mignolet floated the ball into corner kick. A busy day for VAR, as another goal was chalked out after a hand ball by Hazard. With a Jutglà shot going just wide, and a Hazard free kick eagerly clutched by Mignolet, the first half debates ended in a slender 1-0 lead.
Two committed teams after the break, and it was Club creating the first opportunity of the second half, with Sardella clearing Vanaken's header from the goal line. The equaliser should always have followed just seconds later, but Hazard, all alone in front of Mignolet, could not get his head adequately to an excellent cross. The visitors now started surging forward: Dolberg's shot went over, and it took an excellent Mignolet to deny another fiesty shot by the Dane.
Trying to regain possession in midfield, Ronny Deila brought on Balanta, and the game remained a strenuous affair without many clear-cut chances. Attempts by De Cuyper, Jutglà and Vanaken all went missing. With Luis Vazquez on in the final minutes of the game, a substitution followed that would turn the game around. Hazard with another fine cross and the Argentinian to beat the Club defense to the ball and heading in the 1-0.
The late goal sent Club adrift but the hosts still wanted that winning goal; De Cuyper saw his shot blocked, and Vanaken's header could not unsettle Schmeichel. The Dane also proved the better of attempts by Skov Olsen and Nusa. Just when everyone was settling for the one point, a Dreyer cross found Nilson Angulo, just on, bringing the three points to the visitors.
Jupiler Pro League – Match Day 27
Audience: 29,000 – Jan Breydel Stadium
Ref: Mr. Erik Lambrechts
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Maxim De Cuyper, Jorne Spileers, Brandon Mechele, Bjorn Meijer (87’ Michał Skóraś) – Casper Nielsen (61’ Éder Balanta), Hugo Vetlesen, Hans Vanaken – Andreas Skov Olsen, Ferran Jutglà, Antonio Nusa (87’ Víctor Barberá). Bench: Joe Bursik, Nordin Jackers, Joel Ordóñez, Denis Odoi, Raphael Onyedika and Kyriani Sabbe. Coach: Ronny Deila.
RSC Anderlecht: Kasper Schmeichel – Killian Sardella (76’ Louis Patris), Zeno Debast, Jan Vertonghen, Ludwig Augustinsson – Mario Stroeykens, Mats Rits (76’ Luis Vazquez), Yari Verschaeren (52’ Théo Leoni) – Anders Dreyer, Kasper Dolberg (89’ Nilson Angulo), Thorgan Hazard. Coach: Brian Riemer.
Yellow: Sardella, Dolberg, Vertonghen.
Red: none.
Goals: 18’ Jutglà (1-0), 79’ Vazquez (1-1), 91’ Angulo (1-2).