With four teams on the same page, the battle for the last tickets for the Champions’ Play-offs will be extremely exciting. Analyst Peter Vandenbempt sees two teams in a good flow, and two teams that are muddling along. “Sometimes a change of coach really pays off.”
“The crisis has been temporarily averted in Bruges”
Jupiler Pro League
KRC GenkClub Bruges
Club Brugge achieved a timely victory against KRC Genk yesterday. The crisis has therefore been temporarily averted, because the unthinkable has been prevented: that Club would not reach the top 6 after a real horror week.
The victory in Genk was the result of a number of factors. A good performance, certainly started with a lot of courage at the beginning of the match. A lot of depth, which Genk had problems with.
When things became difficult in a certain period, they showed solidarity and fought. Goalkeeper Nordin Jackers was a pleasant surprise. Outstanding between the posts at a crucial moment, just before half-time.
And this time, unlike in previous weeks, they had a dose of luck: Tolu’s penalty miss, an unpunished elbow from Odoi, a downright silly penalty. Added up that makes 0-3.
To now say that all suffering has been suffered and that Ronny Deila has suddenly become a winning trainer, we will have to wait a little longer for that.
Peter Vandenbempt
At a time when things were about to explode in Bruges, that was a good thing. Coach Ronny Deila was the winner yesterday, but it is clear that luck is fragile.
His very early defensive changes were not understood by the observers and certainly not appreciated by the fans, who at that moment loudly called for his dismissal.
Anyway, partly due to decisions by the ref and because Genk was not good enough, it now led to a result. It is a great boost on the eve of European matches, where Club still has some irons in the fire against Molde.
But to now say that all the suffering is over and that Ronny Deila has suddenly become a winning trainer, we will have to wait a little longer for that.
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“Genk did have a point about the ref and the VAR, but…”
Due to the defeat, Genk is once again in close shoes for the top 6. The Limburgers were again dissatisfied with the referees.
They did have a point, but coach Wouter Vrancken also talked about his own team. The way in which football was played again inefficiently, with of course that incredibly weak penalty from Tolu as a negative highlight.
The Limburgers mainly have themselves to blame for Genk’s downright poor season. The incredible fiddling in the summer in the European preliminary rounds, for example, a cup defeat at God-better KV Oostende, winning 5 home games out of 14 in the competition…
The fact that you are still eligible for the top 6 also has to do with the fact that other, better clubs are not doing well either. And that smooth football with many opportunities that we certainly saw in the first few months is much less visible in the new calendar year.
The Limburgers mainly have themselves to blame for Genk’s downright poor season.
Peter Vandenbempt
They did have a point about the ref and the VAR. Nobody understands that downright silly penalty.
And the refs just didn’t handle Odoi’s elbow properly. If you judge that it is involuntary, the VAR cannot intervene. That is only possible with a red card.
But as a referee you have to be smart enough that if you see a defender with a bloody nose on the field, you have it taken care of and only allow the corner to be kicked when the defender is back on the field.
And maybe the defender has to leave the field first and then come back in according to the regulations, but be a bit smart.
This way you avoid all the fuss, because suddenly it was 0-2 and that was a decisive moment in the match.
Related:
“KAA Gent stands for a total makeover”
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StandardKAA Gent
Things look even worse for KAA Gent after a defeat on the Standard field. Things are going well in Ghent.
The great thing is that AA Gent played a very good, solid first half, even with 10, Gent was simply the better team in Liège. But in the second half it opened the door wide for a pandering.
That was also initiated by one error by the referee. And that was not giving a penalty to Ghent. That was wrong, the rest was defensible. Also the penalty for hand play, because the rules for hand play are idiotic if you ask me.
At AA Gent there is nothing that is right anymore. Last week, owner Sam Baro and coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck already fired at each other in the public forum.
Now Tarik Tissoudali came to explain it again. The board had failed, had a bad transfer policy… And that brings the circle full circle: everyone is dissatisfied. Good timing from Tissoudali too, on the eve of the battle for the top 6, throwing some gasoline on the raging fire in Ghent.
On the eve of the battle for the top 6, Tarik Tissoudali threw some fuel on the raging fire in Ghent.
Peter Vandenbempt
In that spread order, Ghent still has to try to reach the top 6, starting on Sunday on the Union field. I don’t have to draw a picture of that.
AA Gent’s season seems to be in ruins. The club is facing a total makeover this summer: a lot of new players, a new trainer and, to start with, a new sporting boss.
He must receive a guarantee from Sam Baro that he can work freely and not have to report every day to Michel Louwagie, who continues to work as an advisor. Because if that is the case, then a really good, strong personality may not happen.
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“Imagine it: Genk and Ghent not in the top 6, Cercle and KV Mechelen are”
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Cercle BruggeKV Mechelen
It will be a battle of four for two more spots in the Champions’ Play-offs, because KV Mechelen is also suddenly there after a victory against Cercle Brugge.
The team of 2024? You could say together with Union. It is the comeback of the year with 20 out of 24. And often with football that, unlike that of Cercle, is appreciated.
A few months ago, KV Mechelen was still a candidate for the play-downs. So that’s absolutely great work from coach Besnik Hasi. Sometimes a change of trainer really pays off. In this case even to an extreme extent.
Before half-time against Cercle Brugge, Mechelen played very well. After that it was tough, but the top 6 is suddenly realistic. They still play against Westerlo and OH Leuven, so 6 out of 6 could be quite possible.
And Cercle Brugge still has to face Charleroi and RWDM, also two teams from the basement of the rankings. Cercle and KV Mechelen are both in a good flow. There is no real pressure, although of course they may have to deal with a shaking arm when they realize that it is possible.
But if you compare that with AA Gent, which still has to play against Union, and KRC Genk, which still plays against Standard, which has been rescued and liberated… And Genk and Ghent are both not in a good flow.
Just imagine: Genk and Ghent are not in the top 6, but Cercle Brugge and KV Mechelen are. It’s gradually becoming a little less absurd than it sounds.
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2024-03-04 08:44:44
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