No climax, but still a party. Eddie Snelders saw Club Brugge closing the group stage at Leverkus with his head held high. Our analyst looks back and forth: “Anything that comes next is a bonus.”
Snelders on the final: ‘Little resistance to the attackers’
“Let me start with the most positive: again Simon Mignolet. In two attempts – one before the break, the other after – he thwarted the defeat. The Red Devil was the biggest man in this campaign.”
“I also didn’t think Leverkusen were strong enough to really threaten the club. The team building was exciting and Xabi Alonso simplified things again by signing Hudsoy-Odoi and Diaby.”
Real gaming opportunities? They weren’t there.
“The club didn’t manage to create a danger. Once everyone else got the ball back and hit Hradiki and there was Buchanan’s attempt on the crossbar. But the chances are really gone? There weren’t any.”
“Often Klopp tried with long balls that weren’t successful at all. Few of the players presented themselves from the midfield and the strikers offered little resistance against the strong defenders of Leverkusen.”
“Ah, we must not forget that the club wasted a lot of suspensions and injuries. However, after a bad game, he did not come home empty-handed.”
Sanders on the campaign: ‘Great Course’
“The club’s group stage can be summed up simply: undivided success. You think up front they can strive for third place, but you’re already sure about the next round after 4 games? This is a special penalty.”
“Apart from that heavy slip against Porto – which can happen – our national champion completed a fantastic trajectory. That last unprecedented and mediocre game didn’t change that at all. It was a fantastic campaign, exceptional even for Belgian football. We’ll finally have someone in the knockout stage.”
Sanders on the future: ‘He’d rather be a clapper’
“Did Klopp miss a chance by handing over the group win? Oh my God, in the other scenario too, titles like Inter could have been in the next round. With the Blue and the Black they can go to the draw without too much tension.”
“All that comes now is a bonus. For me there might be a clapper of the drum on Monday. The chance to come out is real anyway, it’s a real real test.”
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