Simon Mignolet: “The ball didn’t fall our way today”
Simon Mignolet didn’t have much work to do but was still beaten once. That early goal was a morale booster for the visitors. “The whole evening went perfectly, according to the scenario KV Kortrijk wanted. We played a decent second half and had the chances to take the lead, but unfortunately, we didn’t capitalize on them. We couldn’t find the openings in their defensive wall. Sometimes, the ball just needs to fall the right way, and that wasn’t the case today.”
Club Brugge didn’t win, but they also didn’t lose. The unbeaten streak continues, which gives Mignolet some positivity. “We’re still on a run of 20 unbeaten matches, and that’s good, but it’s very frustrating that we didn’t win today.”
Brandon Mechele: “This shouldn’t really happen”
A disappointed Brandon Mechele expressed his frustration after the match. “This is not the result we wanted. A draw at home against Kortrijk shouldn’t really happen.” According to Mechele, the loss of points was due to his team’s intensity. “There was too little tempo in the first half, too few chances. We got caught on the counter. In the second half, we were better, and I felt like the goal was coming, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. We also didn’t take our chances. We were dangerous behind their defense, but not enough.”
Christos Tzolis: “We weren’t clinical enough“
Club Brugge battered against a defensive wall from Kortrijk for the entire match but ultimately had to settle for a draw. “We unnecessarily dropped points today because, in principle, you should always win at home against a team that’s at the bottom of the ranking. We started the match well but failed to take an early lead, while their goal was also too easy. After that, we tried to turn things around with power play, but in the decisive moments, we weren’t clinical enough, and there were often better options available.”
Tzolis reflected on whether the frequent changes to the starting eleven might have been a factor: “I don’t know if this is due to the many changes in the lineup because, in the end, our squad is balanced enough. Moreover, we had to face a very defensive Kortrijk, with several players apparently struggling with ‘falling sickness.’ It’s incomprehensible that the referee went along with their game. I understand this is part of football, but personally, I think stricter action should be taken against it.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s away match against Manchester City, Tzolis was optimistic: “Today’s result won’t affect our preparation for the trip to England. We know it’ll be a tough evening because, even though Manchester City is having a difficult season, they remain one of the very best teams in Europe. We’ll have to be at our absolute best to get a good result there. Should we aim for a draw? Not really, because we need to dare to rely on our own strengths and aim for the win. Starting tomorrow, the full focus will be on Wednesday, and the coach will surely have a game plan in mind.”