STVV has won the cellar match against Cercle Brugge. The Canaries sent the Association back to Bruges with a 3-0 defeat and are doing an excellent job with a view to preservation.
STVV – Cercle Bruges in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Just as Cercle is emphatically looking for the 1-1, STVV scores the decisive 2-0 with a rehearsed free kick.
- Man of the match: Christian Brüls played football today as in his best days. He acted as game distributor, as declarant and as finisher.
- Remarkable: It had already been since November 25, 2006 that STVV was able to beat Cercle Bruges in-house.
View the goals from STVV – Cercle Brugge (3-0)
Brüls opens the score with a brush stroke
The match got off to a slow start. Both teams built a lot of caution into their game and shunned the risks.
After a historyless first fifteen minutes, Christian Brüls suddenly thought his moment had come: he got the ball from Suzuki outside the box, cut himself free and the leather curled wonderfully in the top corner. The first goal from Brüls for STVV, and immediately a gem.
Cercle did little of it in the first half, but almost came alongside when a cross was badly processed by the STVV defense. Ugbo had the equalizer to the foot, but pushed the ball over from close range.
The remaining danger for the break all came from the home team. Didillon had to dive to the corner twice, first with a free kick from Brüls, then with a nice flight shot from Lavalée.
Stronger Cercle after half time, but STVV is more efficient
The start of the second half was also for STVV. Suzuki soon had the 2-0, but the Japanese failed to decide the match.
Then it was up to Cercle Brugge to gear up. The Bruges team came out more eager and sharper than in the first half and pushed the home team back. That also provided opportunities for Hoggas and Musaba, but not an equalizer.
STVV struck mercilessly at a rare counter-injection. Brüls surprised the Cercle defense with a mock maneuver on a free kick, after which he painted the ball right on Teixeira’s head. The Portuguese could no longer miss: 2-0.
A sledgehammer blow for Cercle, who also swallowed a third goal in the final minute after a deviated shot from Durkin. STVV seems to be sailing towards safe waters, it will be exciting weeks for Cercle.
Hotic takes out De Ridder with a panna
Peter Maes: “Don’t rest on our laurels”
- Peter Maes (STVV): “After a difficult start, we did a fantastic job in the match. And except for the first ten minutes of the second half, we did a fantastic job today. I told Christian Brüls before the match that I finally wanted to see the boss who I had in mind, after his adaptation period. And today he really took everything to himself and has a large share in the result. “
“Assistant coach Davy Heymans has already put together a very nice repertoire in the field of stationary phases. That’s how we are all links and everyone is important at STVV. That’s how we all come to a result together. We hit a direct competitor a whole lot. “I think things will settle down a bit now. But we should not rest on our laurels and try to further develop our identity and set another goal.”
- Paul Clement (Cercle Bruges): “This was a very bad evening for us. The first half made the difference. We were inferior in many situations. We are lagging behind due to a nice finish, but we created too little ourselves. After half time we played better. but along the way we also started to take more risks. That second goal comes at a very important moment. But STVV deserves the victory, and it is difficult and disappointing for me to say that at this point in the season.
“STVV now also has a gap with the three teams at the bottom: Waasland Beveren, Mouscron and ourselves. Things can change quickly in this competition. With 9 games to go, there are still many points to be earned. But time is now playing to our disadvantage. It’s important that we respond quickly now and do well in our next match. “
- 90 + 5 ‘second half
- 90+4′
- 90+4′
- 90+4′
- 90+3′
- 90+1′
- 90′
- 89′
- 87′
