Club Brugge already under pressure at Sturm Graz in the Champions League: “The biggest mistake would be to underestimate this opponent”

An opponent to necessarily beat in order to hope to remain European after the month of January. “We will go there with confidence and the ambition to bring something back. We know that it will already be a very important match among the eight”, commented Maxim De Cuyper.

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This Tuesday, Nicky Hayen, who we guess is under constant pressure, tried to minimize, in a way, the stakes of this match, the first away before going to AC Milan on October 22. “I don’t want to hear or say that we absolutely have to win here because that would mean that the following matches would be less important, declared the Bruges coach. We could have taken three points against Dortmund. I am convinced that it is possible here, by being more clinical, more efficient.”

An extended speech by Christos Tzolis, one of the players affected by this offensive obligation. “You haven’t seen the best version of myself yet, declared the 22-year-old Greek attacking winger, who arrived from Düsseldorf during the summer transfer window after training at PAOK and stints at Norwich and Twente. I’ve only been here three months. I like our system and our style of play but I had to adapt to the Belgian championship. I remain confident in our offensive capabilities, it will come.”

Unstable trust

The idea that confidence is an unstable parameter, this season at the Club, has deepened after the undeserved defeat in the league against Ghent (2-4, September 22) then the flattering split at Charleroi (1-1, last Friday ). “I don’t think we’re in a worse period, Hayen replied. We could (or should) have won against Dortmund and Ghent. Ok, in Charleroi, it was less positive overall but we could have scored in the first half.”

The observation of dark days also applies to Sturm Graz, still leader of the Austrian championship despite its recent 4/9. “The last matches were more difficult”, admitted Belgian defender Dimitri Lavalée.

The Austrians, beaten by Brest a fortnight ago (2-1), are defensively distorted. Lavalée is suspended, Wüthrich and Stankovic injured. That’s a famous dose of experience less for this very young squad. Against Brest, ten of the eleven starters discovered the Champions League. An aspect on which the people of Bruges will have to capitalize.

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“Our biggest mistake would be to calculate and underestimate our opponent, warned Nicky Hayen. Sturm Graz was not Austrian champion without qualities… It is a team which puts a lot of intensity and which, at home, with its warm public and a full stadium (Editor’s note: including 700 Club supporters)is capable of transcending itself.”

In short, Bruges has been warned. He has a card to play but he can’t miss it.