Club Brugge press high to stop you building calmly from the back.
“Club probeert ook hoger op het veld druk te zetten, waardoor tegenstanders minder tijd krijgen om rustig op te bouwen.”Club also try to press higher up the pitch, so opponents get less time to build up calmly. our translation
They are the champions, but they look a gear slower than last year. Belgian pundits say the football is comfortable rather than dangerous, and the wingers are not producing what Christos Tzolis did before he left.
“Het voetbal is momenteel te gezapig en mist versnelling.”At the moment the football is too sluggish and lacks acceleration. our translation
Brugge want to pin you inside your own penalty area and win the ball straight back when it comes out. Ivan Leko judges his team on shots and sprinting, not on how much of the ball they have.
“Ik houd ervan als we de tegenstander wegduwen in hun box, want dat betekent dat je goed voetbalt.”I love it when we push the opponent back into their own box, because that means you are playing well. our translation
Against a team that packs its own box, though, Brugge can get stuck passing sideways and backwards. After the local derby their coach complained they had played more balls to their own goalkeeper than to their striker.
“We speelden meer naar onze doelman dan onze spits.”We played more towards our own goalkeeper than towards our striker. our translation
In Belgium they have most of the ball, sometimes nearly all of it.
“Maar Club won verdiend met 80 procent balbezit.”But Club deservedly won with 80 percent possession. our translation