archived posts
Pickard: Club Brugge — Season 3 (July to September)
Hey people! Welcome back to another update on my Club Brugge story. The last update showed our pre-season results and our Ins and Outs, this update will be for July to the end of September. So let’s get on with the show…
July
Belgian Super Cup Final v Genk
Yes…again another Super Cup Final against Genk, could we finally win against the treble winners? Could I finally tick off the Super Cup on my objectives list…
No is the answer, yet again when it come down to the crunch against Genk we crumble. We dominated the match, more possession, shots, and shots on target but no, Marvin Ogunjimi’s 23rd minute finish was enough to guide them to another Super Cup trophy.
August
Champions League Best Placed Qual 3 Leg 1 v Larisa
We were drawn against Greek side Larisa in the Champions League and with the away leg first it was a great chance of getting some away goals. With the first minute Lamela made it 1-0 and that’s how it stayed until the 84th minute when Larisa scored an own goal. Larisa then scored to make it 2-1 but then conceded a penalty and Lamela easily converted. Larisa hadn’t finished and scored in the 94th minute, making the final score 3-2 to us.
Pro League Match 1 v AA Gent
Our first League match of the season was a tough one, against a team we’d struggled to beat convincingly over the past few seasons and this was no exception however, we did take the led through Hao Junmin. AA Gent came out the better side in the second half and quickly equalised and we lucky to hold out for the draw. This was beginning to feel like it was going to be a difficult season.
Champions League Best Placed Qual 3 Leg 2 v Larisa
With us taking a 3-2 lead back to Brugge I didn’t think we could lose at home, but I began to sweat when Larisa scored in the first 8 minutes. We quickly got our act together and Jo scored his first competitive goal for us and we progressed to the final qualifying round. The draw was made and Shakhtar we’re going to be our opponents.
Pro League Match 2 v Lokeren
Our first home game of the league was against Lokeren, and it didn’t start according to plan as Boldizsar Bodor was sent off after just 6 minutes. Some how we managed to race to a 2-0 lead at half-time, Jo and Lamela the scorers. Lokeren managed to peg us back in the second half but, Lerato Chabangu made me jump off my seat and sealed a 3-2 victory 4 minutes from time.
Pro League Match 3 v OH Leuven
Our next match in the League was OH Leuven, newly promoted and still feeling their way through…I smelt blood. Hao Junmin and Jo got us off to a flyer and we we’re 2-0 to the good at half-time. OH Leuven pulled one back before Eric Lamela and Hao Junmin added another two and sealed a 4-1 win.
Champions League Best Placed Playoff Leg 1 v Shakhtar
Shakhtar we’re are next opponents, what a challenge we had on our hands. They had been buying big over the last couple of seasons and one of them, Gokhan Inler rifled them into the lead. We started to find our feet in the second half and created a couple of chances and missed a couple of clear cut ones. Just as I thought we’d lost Jo popped up to scored and give us a glimmer of hope. 1-1 the final score, meaning we had a very tough second leg ahead of us.
Pro League Match 4 v Anderlecht
For one big game to another, next up we’re Anderlecht. Jo picked up where he left off in the last match and sent us in at half-time 1-0 up. We then doubled our lead though Phillipp Klement, not normally on the score sheet but I wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Anderlecht then pulled a goal back to make it a very nervy final 15 minutes but, we held on and claimed a nice 2-1 victory.
Champions League Best Placed Playoff Leg 2 v Shakhtar
This is it, we we’re only 90 minutes away from finding out which European competition we would be playing in this season. A win or a high scoring draw and it was the Champions League Group Stage, defeat and it was Europa League football. Shakhtar started the better and got better and better as the half went on, but some how we managed to score on the stroke of half-time through Hao Junmin. Shakhtar again started the better and the pressure got too much for one person, Eric Lamela getting sent off 10 minutes into the second half. They pressed and pressed but managed to hold on…somehow with 10 men, we’d done it…a 1-0 win.
We didn’t have to wait long to find out who we’d have in the Champions League Group Stages the draw was only two days later. Here it is…
I was drawn against my beloved Manchester United, tough German team Werder Bremen and FC Midtjylland. I was confident that we could get 3rd position and that would keep us in Europe.
September
Pro League Match 5 v Lierse
After the heroics of the Champions League it was back to League action and a trip to Lierse. The villain for the Shakhtar match, EricLamela redeemed himself by netting the first goal of the match. Dede and Sanogo, who had replaced Jo earlier, rounded off the match. 3-0 the final score.
Pro League Match 6 v STVV
We then entertained STVV at home. Last season we found out that they we’re a difficult team to beat and this was the same. Dorge Kouemaha broke STVV heart by scoring an 83rd minute winner 4 minutes after STVV had been reduced to 10 men. 1-0 the score.
Champions League Group C Match 1 v Manchester United
Our first Champions League Group match couldn’t have been any harder, a trip to Old Trafford. It got harder when after just 4 minutes our playmaker Hao Junmin limped off and then even harder when Dimitar Berbatov up Manchester United 1-0 up. We never looked like scoring and Manchester United rounded off a solid performance on 90 minutes with a superb Nani strike.
Pro League Match 7 v Westerlo
So after the trip to Old Trafford it was back to reality and a home tie against Westerlo. Dorge Kouemaha got us on our way but, we we’re quickly pegged back. The second half was very sloppy and neither team created much and the match ended 1-1.
Pro League Match 8 v Charleroi
We then travelled to Charleroi. I wanted a better performance but this didn’t happen, we went in 0-0 at half-time. I told the team that I wanted to see more and the dually delivered, Eric Lamela and Katlago Mphela giving us a 2-0 win.
Pro League Match 9 v Genk
Our final game of this update was against the team that was started the update against…Genk (grrrrrrrr). So far we’d avoided defeat in the League, could we keep this run going…course we could. 11 minutes in and Dede put us 1-0 up, 32 minutes…2-0 Karel Geraerts, we we’re flying. It didn’t stop there 3 minutes into the second half Luciano Nieto made it 3-0…I was loving it! Genk did get a conciliation goal 6 minutes from time but it was too late, we’d recorded a fantastic win again the current league champions.
League Table
So after starting the Pro League and going 9 games unbeaten where we’re we in the league?
That’s it for this update. Thanks for reading and as always comments are welcome. Join me for the next update where you’ll be able to see how we get on in the months leading up to Christmas.
Thanks again
Martin