So much for the first leg of the Champions League Play-Offs. Asking for their views on the game in Glasgow, we lined up our microphone in front of our coach, and goal scorers Romeo Vermant and Brandon Mechele.
Romeo Vermant: "Did a good job"
A rampant Ibrox was soon silenced as Vermant's neat finishing made it 0-1 for the hosts just two minutes in. “That goal was ideal. I anticipated the reaction, and saw that I was left all alone. Their goalie stood ground, and I let it swerve over him in one go. A great goal, if I do say so myself. We put in a massive first half performance. 1-3, that's a job well done. 0-3 would have been even better, obviously, but I do reckon this is a fine away result. Particularly here at the Ibrox."
“We are still in a growing process, and when you compare this game to last week's encounter with Salzburg, you can see that we are a bit further again. Our build-up was really good at times, and that's positive for our future", he concluded with a smile.
Brandon Mechele: "A goal for the Louvre"
What a way to celebrate your 500th game! Picking up a cleared ball with his chest, Brandon Mechele had something great in mind as he hammered it past Butland into the far corner to make it 0-3. “You can hang it in the Louvre. Winning is always great, and to do so with such an amazing goal, that's just fabulous. We managed to silence the crowd, they were even booing their own players”.
Three goals for a rampant Club in the first 20. “Our first half was top notch. We even had more chances to score, but then we conceded that 1-3 early on in the second. Which made it harder on us. We tried to release the pace from the game, threatening on the break. We were lined up well in defense.”
The win at Glasgow gives Club a huge advantage as it takes on the second leg on the way to the UCL League Phase: “If we play the way we did in the first half, we should be able to reel it in, but it's still football, so we need to be cautious. Next week will be extremely important", Mechele forewarned the Club fans.
Nicky Hayen: "Second half should come as a good learning experience"
An excruciating start for Club Brugge, taking a 0-3 lead within the first twenty minutes of the encounter with Rangers FC. Things heated up in the second half, but a well-organised Club persevered, taking a massive first leg result to Bruges. “Winning here 1-3 was a scenario we only could have dreamed of. We knew they would be giving away a lot of space, it's something we highlighted in our pre-game build-up. That worked out well in the first half, but it didn't so much after the break. We indicated at half time that they would start playing an all or nothing game, as they had nothing left to lose, with explicite warning for those first ten minutes, but unfortunately we took that goal just five minutes in. You know things can get tight after that. We should have brought more depth to the table in the second half, but we weren't able to do so. This result is a great first leg result, but it's not like we're there yet. The second half should come as a good learning experience. We will be dissecting it well, and try to maintain our game from the first half the full ninety minutes.”