Club Brugge can still dream of the final of the Conference League, but that will certainly not be easy. It will have to make up for a 3-2 defeat in its return match against Fiorentina next week to be able to book a ticket to Athens.
That is a difficult task in any case, but on top of that, Blauw-Zwart also has to focus on the play-offs. It came into the rankings next to Anderlecht last weekend and must win against Antwerp to keep its title chances intact.
Club Brugge has a killer calendar
In recent years, criticism has sometimes been leveled at the play-off system in Bruges, which, according to Bart Verhaeghe, undermines the chances of Belgian teams to go far in Europe. The fact that the focus of the competition is at the same time as the final phases of the European tournaments is a significant disadvantage for Belgian teams.
Frank Raes thinks that the Club chairman has a point. “They will play against Antwerp on Sunday afternoon at half past one and then they have to play again on Wednesday, because on Thursday you have the Blood Procession and the cup final in Bruges. I agree with Bart Verhaeghe on this: it all comes together very quickly,” says the commentator. in From Sjotka.
Less pressure for Fiorentina
The contrast is great with the program of the European opponents. In the previous round, PAOK even got the weekend off before the second leg, while Fiorentina now also has a much easier schedule. They played Sassuolo against the penultimate in Serie A last weekend and will meet another low-flyer on Sunday with Hellas Verona.
The Italians will therefore be able to rotate, a luxury that Club cannot afford. The best they can hope for is that a victory over the Bosuil will give them enough confidence and energy that they won’t feel too tired next Wednesday.
