Another European assignment, another magical night at Jan Breydel for Club Brugge as it came back from a dampening 0-2 at half time to make it 3-2 on the night through Seys on the volley, an amazing run by Forbs and a cool-headed masterful stroke by Vanaken.
August offering a lot of challenges with its hefty schedule, coach Hayen changed the team that had beaten Cercle on the weekend in five positions, putting Simon Mignolet between the posts, sliding Joaquin Seys back in right back position, and lining up Onyedika and Reis in midfield. Up front, Carlos Forbs was allowed his first start.
From the very first minute, Club put the pedal to the metal, with an industrious Forbs showcasing his enormous speed, but not able to frame his attempt. Still in the opening ten, the Portuguese pulled it back to an infiltrating Vanaken, but Club's skipper did not put it deep enough to unsettle the Austrian goalkeeper, and moments later Tzolis in his typical style went for the far corner but saw it sail juuuuuust wide, while Schlager proved the better of another Tzolis attempt in tapping it away from below the crossbar at the first post. The Austrian goalie remained a scourge for Club's attacking efforts, clearing Spileers' header with a fine foot reflex. A shot chipping off the back of a Club defender just wide by Kjaergaard was initially all that was in it for the Austrians.
Club clearly had the better of the game, but still it was the visitors opening up the game just twenty minutes in as Jacob Rasmussen headed in a perfectly curled free kick in off the post. A blow for Club, trying to serve up an immediate response as Forbs first could not connect well with a Vermant cross towards the far post, and straight after came just short of tapping in another fine cross, this time by Tzolis. Club started mounting the pressure, even if Salzburg was aon the prowl for that second goal. Mignolet was called upon to deny Kjaergaard from a distance, while Vertessen saw his shot go high over, and a free kick by the technically skilled Kjaergaard soared just wide of target.
An eventful first half saw more chances to make it 1-1: a shot by Tzolis took a deflection before going wide, a cracker by Spileers went off a defender over, and Schlager once again showed his prowess as he denied Tzolis (again!) from sending it home. No 1-1, and adding salt to injury, the visitors made that vital 0-2 to virtually send Club out of the UCL path. Intercepting the ball, Salzburg neatly passed it towards the right wing and the ensuing cross found Baidoo who mercilessly put it past Mignolet. Club now had work on its hands but was unlucky in its finishing as Vermant headed a great Reis cross across the face of goal.
With Sabbe on for Meijer at half-time, Seys made the move to the left wing as Club started looking for that goal to make it even, resulting in a fine chance early on but Vermant again headed a Reis corner kick on the wrong side of the crossbar. Moments later, Sabbe lit the spark with a distance shot sailing over, while Schlager proved the better of a Reis header. Just before the hour mark, Jan Breydel erupted a first time as Sabbe reached the goal line, cleverly saw Sabbe just outside the box, taking it in one go to make it 1-2 and all to play for.
The Club engine now really started rolling, and as Vermant seemed to be brought down inside the box, denied by the ref, Mechele placed his header over goal a bit later, while Schlager pawed away a fine cross by Forbs and another Tzolis attempt went just over. At the away end, a Kjaergaard effort went wide.
Bringing some fresh legs to the game, Nicky Hayen brought in newcomers Tresoldi and Stanković, and the latter had something magical in mind as he controlled the ball with a magic touch and took it in the turn, but the ball somehow went off a defender and goalkeeper Schlager into corner kick. Just when the crowd at Jan Breydel thought Forbs was through his best powers, the Portuguese intercepted a pass towards the wing on his first half, went through on goal, dummied his defender and fired the 2-2 in with force. What a goal, forcing Salzburg to add another to their tally, but it was Club with the final word: first Tresoldi and Tzolis let the chance to make it 3-2 slip, but not so for Vanaken, slotting it in after Tzolis did all the heavy work keeping off his defender and finding the Club legend with a great assist.
A spot in the Champions League Play-Offs is Club Brugge's fair share, where it is set to cross swords with Glasgow Rangers for that much coveted place in the League Phase.
UEFA Champions League – Third Preliminary Round (2nd leg)
Audience: 28,000 – Jan Breydel Stadium
Ref: Mr. Irfan Peljto (Bosnia)
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Joaquin Seys, Jorne Spileers, Brandon Mechele, Bjorn Meijer (46’ Kyriani Sabbe) – Ludovit Reis (68’ Aleksandar Stanković), Raphael Onyedika (90+5' Zaid Romero), Hans Vanaken – Carlos Forbs (87’ Hugo Siquet), Romeo Vermant (68’ Nicolò Tresoldi), Christos Tzolis.
Bench: Nordin Jackers, Dani van den Heuvel, Hugo Vetlesen, Cisse Sandra, Gustaf Nilsson and Lynnt Audoor.
Coach: Nicky Hayen.
Red Bull Salzburg: Alexander Schlager – Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, Jacob Rasmussen, Aleksa Terzic - Dorgeles Nene, Mads Bidstrup, Soumaila Diabaté (90’ Jannik Schuster), Maurits Kjaergaard (83’ Kerim Alajbegovic) - Yorbe Vertessen, Edmund Baidoo (64’ Petar Ratkov).
Coach: Thomas Letsch.
Yellow: Spileers.
Red: none
Goals: 18’ Rasmussen (0-1), 43’ Baidoo (0-2), 61’ Seys (1-2), 84’ Forbs (2-2), 90+4’ Vanaken (3-2).