Club Brugge experienced a catastrophic week until the end: after leading 2-0, the Blauw & Zwart collapsed, weighed down by Joel Ordoñez’s red card.
It was the match of the “disappointed” of the Cup, but of the two teams, it was of course Bruges who had to be forgiven for their elimination in the quarter-final. The Blauw & Zwart had everything to lose against the RAAL, before a perilous trip to Kazakhstan next week.
The match began at a senatorial pace, and La Louvière was comfortable, until play was stopped at the quarter-hour mark: Maxence Maisonneuve collided with Dani Van den Heuvel… who had to give way to Nordin Jackers (15th). Ivan Leko takes the opportunity to reposition his troops, and it pays off: a simple shift on the left, a cross from Diakhon and Romeo Vermant made 1-0 on his first opportunity (23rd, 1-0).
Ordoñez puts Bruges in the sauce
The beautiful Louviéroise organization is shattered: on a corner, Hugo Vetlesen is inexplicably left alone behind and calmly makes the break (2-0, 29th). Another corner kick finds the head of Vanaken who already comes close to killing the match (34th).
We say to ourselves a few minutes later that he might regret it: last man, Joel Ordoñez holds back Jerry Afriyie… and is logically excluded after intervention by the VAR (38th). La Louvière feels that it has a chance to play, and comes close to making it 2-1 just before the break – but Lutonda hits the post (45th + 2).
We know what the second half will look like: Frédéric Taquin brings in Sami Lahssaini and Pape Fall, with the aim of putting pressure on the Bruges defense. Jackers saves his colors for the first time on a spontaneous strike from Afriyie (55th).
Okou then had to save his side with a heroic tackle in front of Tzolis, before Maisonneuve sent a missile onto the slat (58th). It’s getting closer, and Bruges ends up cracking for the first time: a cross from the left and a mix-up benefit Jerry Afriyie (61e, 2-1).
Used amorphous
We feel that Bruges have their hands full, and Jackers still has to hesitantly clean up various centers. It was on one of these repulsed balloons that Sami Lahssaini tries his luck from outside the rectangle: it’s at the bottom (81st, 2-2). Jan Breydel is as stunned as his players… and has not yet seen everything.
Indeed, the Blauw & Zwart, devoid of the slightest spirit of rebellion, will let the Wolves come… and what was supposed to happen happened. Okou, central defender, finds himself in a winger position: his cross is poorly pushed back by Jackers who puts him back in the axis… and the head of Pape Fall goes through there (89th, 2-3). Walloon football, 2, Bruges, zero: Ivan Leko will have a lot of headaches before going to Kazakhstan.
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