Post-match reactions after the 2-0 win over AA Gent came from Bjorn Meijer, Hans Vanaken, Maxim De Cuyper and coach Ronny Deila.
Bjorn Meijer: “Blissful victory”
Bjorn Meijer helped Club fending off Gent, deciding the game in the first half.
"A blissful victory for us, and a good result in our chase", the Dutchman started out. "It's a fine result, particularly with that clean sheet. We were even the better team when it was still 11vs11. It's a deserved win. We kept Gent under pressure, and kept them from creating many chances. We had seen some footage showing that they tend to fall back against top teams. But we expected some high pressure from them too. With two forwards and two wing backs high upfield, there's bound to be lots of duelling, and we managed to come out on top most of the time. Also after they were down to ten. It's hard to understand, but it's not always that easy to be playing ten men. There's this pressure, it's just different. A free man gets available, as you're used to playing 11 vs 11. But not conceding was vital today, or it could have been a more tense game. The second half wasn't as good as our first, but still: a job well done."
Thiago's brace brings Club back in the Top 6. “He put them in neatly, even if I was stressed for about a millisecond prior to that first one. I thought "oh no, that one's going high", but it went in perfectly. Even if the keeper chose the right corner, he did not stand a chance. It's all huddled up at the top of the table. No team wants to be dropping the points, so this has been an ideal time to inch closer.”
The game again sparked some lively VAR discussions. “It's all going a bit fast for me, and I haven't seen any footage just yet. So I can't really say anything about it. The VAR usually enters when an error has been made. I fully trust it, except for that one at Mechelen.” (KN)
Hans Vanaken: “Keep our focus for two more games”
Club sent AA Gent away 2-0, much to the dismay of many an AA Gent fan. Skipper Hans Vanaken was convinced his team deservedly claimed the full loot.
“I reckon our first half was top notch. We kept from furthering the score in the second half, and couldn't bring that good football anymore. Particularly against a ten man Gent. We could have done better there, but all in all I'm quite happy with our first half. We handled their two strikers really well, and hardly gave anything away. We found the space ourselves, creating danger, and helping us to two penalty kicks, correctly awarded too. That red card in that second penalty situation really made it easier on ourselves.”
”Gent also claimed a spot kick at the start of the game, but I believe Nielsen was fouled just before that, receiving a serious blow causing him to be taken off too moments later. There's not a lot more I can say about it, as I haven't seen any footage just yet. We are having a solid run right now, even if we can still do better, but in the end it's the results that matter most. We need to retain our focus for two more games, so we can go into the winter break with a tranquil state of mind.” (FDC)
Maxim De Cuyper: “Enormous relief”
Two Thiago spot kicks helped Club towards a 2-0 victory in the "Battle of Flanders". A pleased Maxim De Cuyper headed to the Mixed Zone afterwards: “After we consolidated that Conference League group win on Thursday, we now claim a vital win against Gent. What a relief to us, particularly after what we have gone through in Mechelen last weekend. We played a good game there, but only took one point from that performance.”
Starting from the right back is not exactly a damper on De Cuyper's spirits: “I do as the coach asks me, and I can only do my darndest. It's a different position, and I had quite some opposition with Fofana. But to be honest: there are many wingers in this competition. That I helped Mignolet out in minute 73 with a serious effort? That shouldn't be an item per se, because you always have to put in the hard work, even if you're one man up. In the end it paid off.” (MV)
Ronny Deila: “Fantastic ambiance”
A mature performance by Ronny Deila's team. The de 2-0 win helps Club on the table.
“A thrilling first half, with two teams going for it. With a great atmosphere to boot. The pitch did not exactly promote fine football. Nevertheless, we created several chances, and lured them into two penalties, both supremely taken by Igor Thiago. I'm happy to see he has no trouble finding his way towards the back of the nets. We maintained our focus in the second half, and were in control of the game. Obviously we would have liked to have scored more, but our attacking play was just too untidy. But this is a fine win. Right now we need to recover and gear up towards our last two games, as they are also very important.” (SF)
Relive the press conference here: