Since Ivan Leko left it unclear whether Mignolet or Jackers will keep goal against Marseille, it is expected that the coach of Club Brugge will still choose Mignolet. Jackers did not make a certain impression against Zulte Waregem (and La Louvière) and was out for a long time. This of course also applies to Mignolet: he played his last match four months ago. The situation in goal is not ideal anyway.
Will Christos Tzolis kick off soon? That is also a big question mark. The Greek trained for the first time on Tuesday after a week’s absence due to back problems. “He can’t play 90 minutes,” Leko said. But it is still unclear whether risks are being taken and Tzolis may be used as a wild card. With Diakhon, who has been doing well in recent weeks, there is already a good alternative.
At the back, Joel Ordonez returns to the starting line-up: he is suspended in the competition, but is allowed to play in the Champions League.
From climbing out of a bedroom window to accusations of rape: how Club Brugge will have to be especially careful for a super talent who thought he was untouchable
Table of Contents
- From climbing out of a bedroom window to accusations of rape: how Club Brugge will have to be especially careful for a super talent who thought he was untouchable
- Union must hope for a miracle against Atalanta: “First win ourselves and then we will find out whether we should score seven or eight times”
Club Brugge – Olympique Marseille
Club Brugge (4-3-3): Friends; Sabbe, Mechele, Ordinary, Seys; Stankovic, Vanaken, Onyedic; Forbs, Verment, Diakhon
Substitutes: Jackers, Spileers, Meijer, Siquet, Osuji, Reis, Vetlesen, Sandra, Tzolis, Tresoldi, Campbell
Injured: Audoor
Suspended: nobody
On one card of suspension: onyedika
Olympique de Marseille (3-4-3): Rulli; Balerdi, Aguerd, Medina; Weah, Hogbjerg, Condogbia, Paixaio; Greenword, Obameyang.
Substitutes: De Lane, Van Neck, Van Nuck, Egan-RIley, Murillo, Angel Gomes, O’Riley, Vermeen, Nadir, Bakola, Bakola, Mmadi, Gauri, Gouri.
Injured: Emerson
Suspended: Pavard
On one card of suspension: Balerdi, Aguerd
Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
David Hubert has to figure things out at Union
Trainer David Hubert will probably be able to put ten of the eleven names on the score sheet on Wednesday evening without too much thought. It seems logical that he will again choose Ross Sykes at the back, after his good match on the Bayern Munich field last week. Kevin Mac Allister and Christian Burgess are the other defensive certitudes, just like goalkeeper Scherpen.
He also seems likely to stick with the same guys in midfield as last week. So with Khalaili and Guilherme in the wingback positions. On the left side, Niang has already been back from the African Cup of Nations for a few days, but Guilherme has developed well in recent weeks, while Niang himself indicated that the coach does not think he is ready to start a match yet. In the center we get the permanent duo Zorgane-Van de Perre.
Union must hope for a miracle against Atalanta: “First win ourselves and then we will find out whether we should score seven or eight times”
However, it is in the attacking compartment that Hubert has to figure things out. Rodriguez is out with a back injury, while David is suspended for the last Champions League match after picking up his third yellow card against Bayern. As a result, Hubert suddenly has to make do without a big, strong attacker. Throughout the season, Union always played with at least one big attacker, usually accompanied by a second, more mobile attacker.
However, Hubert will have to solve things differently against Atalanta. It also seems almost certain that Raul Florucz and Anouar will play Ait El Hadj. They have made by far the most minutes of all other attacking options so far and above all: there are hardly any alternatives. For that third attacking position it is between Mo Fuseini, who has only just returned from injury, and Sekou Keita, a young attacker who only made his debut in the Champions League last week.
In that respect it is a matter of who will kick off. Keita regularly scores for Union’s second team in the first national team and also did good things in the Youth League, but to immediately kick off in a Champions League match? That seems a bit too early to us. Fuseini has never played more than 25 minutes since returning from a serious injury. Can he handle at least a full half yet?
Or does Hubert surprise everything and everyone? Khalaili – to name just one – was a forward before coming to Union. With Patris and Niang there are also alternatives at wingback. Will he be the surprise? We will know the answer on Wednesday evening, around 8 p.m.
Also striking among the Unionists is the (thin) bench. There are hardly any boys who belong to the first team. Giger, Pavlic, Makaté and François are not on the European list, Barry, like Rodriguz, is injured and two boys who were on that list, Rasmussen and Boufal, left this winter. Newcomers Zeneli, Sylla and Biondic are not eligible to play. That is why Keita, Hamoutahar, Berradi and Huyghevelde were brought into the group.
Union – Atalanta
Union (3-4-2-1): Scherpen; Mac Allister, Bourgess, Sykes; Khalaili, Zorgane, Van of Perre; Guilherme; Going the Hadj, Raul; Fosein
Substitutes: Chambaere, Leysen, Patris, Niang, Schoofs Berradi, Huyghevelde, Keita, Hamoutahar
Injured: Barry, Rodriguez
Suspended: David
On one card of suspension: Burgess, Sykes, Van de Perre, Niang
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Krstovic
Substitutes: Sportiello, Rossi, Ahanor, Hien, Kossounou, Bernasconi, Musah, Pasalic, Samardzic, Scamacca, Sulemana
Injured: Bakker, Bellanova, Raspadori
Suspended: nobody
On one card of suspension: De Roon, Moses
Referee: Michael Oliver (Eng)
