Antwerp were beaten 3-1 by Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium on Sunday. The result leaves the Great Old in 11th place in the Jupiler Pro League with seven points from six matches.
The hosts took an early lead when Hugo Vetlesen converted a penalty in the 13th minute. Antwerp showed resilience to equalise within six minutes, as Snayder Porozo headed home from a Taishi Brandon Nozawa cross in the 19th minute. The teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Club Brugge regained control after half-time. Vetlesen scored his second of the night in the 50th minute to put his side back in front. Antwerp struggled to create clear chances in response. The home side sealed the points in the 78th minute through Jan Virgili Tenas, who finished after an assist from Joaquin Seys.
This defeat marks a third consecutive league loss for Antwerp, following reverses against Standard Liege and STVV. The team has now scored 11 goals and conceded 13 this season.
Stuck in 11th place, Antwerp now trail league leaders Union St. Gilloise by nine points. Their next challenge is a direct confrontation with those same leaders at home next Sunday. Check the upcoming fixtures for the full schedule.
Antwerp's starting line-up in Bruges was: Lammens; De Laet, Engels, Coulibaly; Keita, Vermeeren, Yusuf, Ejuke; Nozawa; Ilenikhena, Balikwisha. Manager Mark van Bommel introduced substitutes including Ekkelenkamp and Valencia in the second half. The squad must now regroup quickly for the top-of-the-table clash at the Bosuilstadion.
