After the win in the Bruges city derby, we gathered reactions from goalscorer Christos Tzolis and coach Nicky Hayen.
Christos Tzolis: "We go into the match against Salzburg with a good feeling"
Club didn’t have it easy against a lively Cercle, but in the end it was 2-0, and Christos Tzolis was quite satisfied with that afterwards.
“The most important thing was that we won this derby,” said the Bruges striker. “With a much better second half, we were able to take the three points, and that was the most important thing today. Our first half was really not good. We couldn’t get any tempo into the game because we reacted far too slowly in many situations, and the red card for a Cercle player obviously played into our hands. Afterwards, we found more space to play football, and we were able to use that well in the second half to score twice in quick succession. After that, we could fully control the match, and we now go into the match against Salzburg with a good feeling. Of course, things are going a lot less smoothly for us than last season, but with so many new players and many injuries, we have been able to offer little so far. In the second half, though, I felt we were playing more the kind of football we want to play.”
Coach Nicky Hayen: "In the first forty minutes, we were nowhere"
Club Brugge may have beaten Cercle, but coach Nicky Hayen was not satisfied with his team’s performance.
“During the first forty minutes, we were nowhere. In the opening phase, we couldn’t even get out of our own penalty area. Cercle were better in every aspect: intensity, quicker to the ball, winning duels, winning the second ball, playing more sharply… We, on the other hand, struggled with our first touch, sloppy passes into feet, you name it. In fact, Cercle deserved to be ahead at half-time. In the end, we still managed to turn the match in our favor, but not convincingly. Even against ten men, we didn’t always make it easy for ourselves. We have to put this match behind us, but certainly not forget it. We’re happy with the three points, but not with the football we played.”
Blue-Black were ultimately able to keep the three points at home thanks to goals from Vanaken and Tzolis. “Hans is a good billiards player, but an even better footballer. Many other players would make a different decision in that situation, but Hans didn’t. It was pure precision to head the ball just under the bar. A great goal. As for Tzolis, we are very happy that he has extended his contract. He is very important for us; he shows that every week. Not only in terms of statistics, because he also does a lot of defensive work. Someone with his mentality is a bonus. He also fits in well with the group. He’s a model professional you enjoy working with every day.”