Four goals before the break put Club Brugge top in Waregem, with Tresoldi decisive again
The champions won 2-4 at Zulte Waregem on Friday and, on 27 points from 30, lead KAA Gent by two for now, on the eve of their Champions League trip to PSV.
Club Brugge opened the tenth round of the Jupiler Pro League on Friday evening with a 2-4 win at Zulte Waregem. With 27 points out of 30, the blue and black move into first place for now, two points ahead of KAA Gent, DH reports. The game was settled before half-time: Sporza writes that one strong first half was enough for Club, and HLN also describes how the visitors could already turn their attention to Eindhoven at the break.
Norwegian Hugo Vetlesen put Club ahead after three minutes with a powerful shot from outside the box, a goal for which Zulte goalkeeper Gabriel was not blameless, according to Sporza. Zulte Waregem barely got a game going for a long spell, but after half an hour Tobias Hedl headed in the equaliser. Club responded immediately: Carlos Forbs made it 1-2, Nicolo Tresoldi turned in a corner from Seys five minutes later for 1-3, and just before the break captain Hans Vanaken finished off a move set up by Tresoldi. A possible penalty for handball by Claes was not given.
Zulte came out more aggressively after the interval. Hedl scored his second goal from a clever pass by Anosike Ementa, but Club were never in trouble again, although Tresoldi missed an open chance. Coach Ivan Leko then rested several players with Wednesday in mind. Tresoldi, who scored a hat-trick last week, is now the league's outright top scorer with eight goals in ten games, Sporza notes. One blemish: Club failed to keep a clean sheet for the third league game in a row, and Potts is suspended for next week's top game against Anderlecht after a yellow card.
Leko said afterwards he was pleased above all with the first half and with his team's reaction, HLN and Sporza reported. On Wednesday, Club play away at PSV in the Champions League. For Zulte Waregem the situation is getting harder: it was their fifth defeat in a row, and with 11 points the side remains stuck in the bottom half of the table. The other teams play their tenth round on Saturday and Sunday.