Hans Vanaken: "Movement and rotation in midfield created more space"
Hans Vanaken was voted the man of the match by UEFA. Both offensively and defensively, the Bruges captain called the shots. At the beginning of the match, that seemed to be a difficult story. "It was an intense start and a nasty start. We get behind unhappily because of that penalty and are unlucky not to get one. Just before halftime we then get behind 0-2 and then you know it could be a very difficult game."
In the locker room, the emphasis was on organization. The many movements of the Madrilenians made for a difficult match. Vanaken explained what went better in the second half: "We started to rotate and move more in midfield. That way there was more space and we started to play better soccer. I myself also started looking for the ball more, which gave Onyedika, for example, more space offensively."
About the return match, Vanaken is especially happy that there is another match. "If we can keep this feeling, we have nothing to lose. First up is OH Leuven on Saturday. If we bring the same attitude for the day, anything is possible."
Simon Mignolet: "We hurt the opponent by scoring at the right moments"
Bridge goalie Simon Mignolet once again played a thumper of a game. The three goals against were admittedly a bummer for the goalkeeper. "They are sour goals to swallow. Both a penalty and a stoppage time ánd then an owngoal. For us it was immediately clear that we had to come out of the locker room with a good answer."
Blauw-Zwart also did that superbly. "When things don't go the way you want, you have to show resilience. We did that superbly. We kept playing free soccer and really hurt the opponent by scoring at the right moments. Both last weekend against Cercle Brugge and today we kept fighting as a team."
About the return match, Mignolet looks ahead with confidence. "This match should really give us confidence. If we show the same next week, there is definitely something in it. If we then also have a bit more luck on our side, then it's definitely possible."