Jupiler Pro LeagueClub Brugge did not really have to press the accelerator deeply and Bas Dost did not even have to score for the first time to easily credit the three points of the ‘away derby’. The lead over first pursuer Racing Genk is again twelve points. The troubled Cercle Brugge played well again but remains, after his twelfth defeat with only one goal difference, nailed to the penultimate place.
Just under a 30-point difference between ‘the Association’ and ‘the Club’, but that was not at all noticeable in the first half of the Bruges derby. Paul Clement elaborated on the system that had resulted in the first victory in Kortrijk in two months, he replaced the suspended Marcelin with captain Taravel and left acquisition Van Der Bruggen on the bench. Philippe Clement gave further confidence to the team that had put Racing Genk aside in the top match of the previous match day.
Club initially put the better technical numbers on the mat, but the real danger came from Cercle. Mignolet had to stop the dangerously advancing Pavlovic and Vitinho narrowly sent the ball past.
It was therefore not undeserved that green-black took the lead just before half an hour. In a duel with Kossounou, Ugbo headed a Hotic cross neatly ready for Musaba, who scored his sixth of the season and his second derby goal past Mignolet. In the first derby, at the beginning of October, the Dutchman had equalized for Cercle. Then Cercle sniffed the sub-top, meanwhile it sank deep into the ranking. The Association could use a derby victory as a boost, but Cercle was not allowed to enjoy his lead for long.
Thomas Didillon had a sublime foot reflex when Bas Dost suddenly appeared in front of goal after a good action, but it was only a postponement of the ‘home team’. Kossounou cut Musaba on the edge of the sixteen easily and the year-old Brandon Mechele was allowed to head uncovered (1-1). After the winning goal against Genk, the Bruges defender continues to improve his statistics.
Club was now easily boss and they had to wait for an acceleration to see the leader take the lead. Vanaken sent Dost deep, Vitinho forgot to open the offside trap and Lang stayed neatly behind the ball that he received from his fellow countryman (1-2). After his eighth season rose, Philippe Clement allowed the little Dutchman to rest.
With Van Der Bruggen between the lines, Cercle got the ball from Club, which limited itself to calm control. Cercle put Mignolet to work one more time with a bang from Hotic, but had to settle for the eighth consecutive home defeat – a match of Sporting Charleroi’s 1999-00 record.
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