Club Brugge suffered a huge dent in their chances of reaching the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League following their 3-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on match-day five, SportPremi Reports.
Chelsea-bound forward Geovany Quenda opened the floodgates in the first half, with Luis Suarez, not the famous Uruguayan, and Tricao making sure of the victory with further goals.
The Belgian side remain in 26th place and outside the places for a knockout position, while Sporting Lisbon moved into the automatic qualifying spots in eighth place.
First half: Hosts dominate as Club Brugge struggle
Sporting Lisbon had won two of their opening four group matches and had played out a 1-1 draw against Juventus in their last match.
Club Brugge, on the other hand, were unlucky not to grab all three points as they recorded a 3-3 draw against Spanish champions Barcelona.
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The home side were given a reprieve few minutes into the clash after the Video Assistant Referee overturned a red card to Morten Hjulmand, giving the Sporting Lisbon captain a yellow card instead.
Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika was also cautioned in the 20th minute for a foul, in a frantic opening to the clash.
However, the hosts soon took the lead soon after as Quenda got on the end of a rebound to bundle home his second UCL goal of the season.
Luis Suarez then made sure of a two-goal lead into the break after he got in behind the defense and brilliantly dinked over Club Brugge’s Jackers.
Second half: Trincao complete win for dominant hosts
Sporting Lisbon continued the second half from where they ended in the first and almost had a third through Suarez, who was only denied by the post.
Club Brugge were gifted a chance to half the deficit, although Nicolo Tresoldi fired wide after he was put under pressure by a defender.
Trincao then added a third in the 70th minute after getting on the end of a pass from Quenda and slotting into the bottom corner.
Sporting close to knockout, Club Brugge chances in danger
Sporting Lisbon made it three wins from five games in the league phase so far and remain on course to make the knockout rounds of the competition.
Club Brugge, meanwhile, were unable to build on their dominant performance against Barcelona in their last European match as they fell apart in a disappointing display.
The Belgian side are now in 26th place and must win their remaining three games to book their spot in the next round of the competition.
Players Ratings:
Sporting Lisbon Players Ratings
- Silva – 7.4
- Fresneda – 7.5
- Diomande – 7.4
- Inacio – 6.6
- Araujo – 7.8
- Simoes – 6.5
- Hjulmand – 7.9
- Catamo – 8.2
- Trincao – 8.2
- Quenda – 8.7
- Suarez – 8.8
Substitutes
- Morita – 6.0
- Blopa – 6.2
- Santos – 6.5
Club Brugge Players Ratings
- Jackers – 6.0
- Seys – 6.1
- Mechele – 6.3
- Ordonez – 6.7
- Siquet – 6.3
- Onyedika – 6.3
- Stankovic – 5.7
- Tzolis – 6.0
- Vanaken – 6.8
- Forbs – 6.1
- Vermant – 6.1
Substitutes
- Tresoldi – 6.0
- Vetlesen – 6.4
- Diakhon – 6.1
Man of the Match
Luis Suarez (8.8/10) – The Sporting Lisbon striker delivered a superb performance for his side, scoring one and setting up one more goal as they romped to victory over their Belgian opponents.
Key Stats
Ball Possession: Sporting 45% – 54% Club Brugge
Total Shots: Sporting 19 – 8 Club Brugge
Shots on Target: Sporting 9 – 1 Club Brugge
Pass Accuracy: Sporting 87% – 87% Club Brugge
Corners: Sporting 3 – 5 Club Brugge
What Next?
Sporting Lisbon head into the weekend with a clash against Estrela Amadora in the Portuguese League on Sunday.
Club Brugge, on the other hand, face Royal Antwerp in the Belgian league on the same day.
