GAMES Anderlecht showed character on Saturday away at Cercle Brugge. For a long time, purple and white looked set to drop points, but in the 93rd minute Adriano Bertaccini still delivered victory for his side: 1-2. Afterwards, coach Vítor Bruno was especially pleased with the mentality and fighting spirit of his players. “This is the spirit of our team,” Bruno said afterwards on DAZN.
According to the Portuguese coach, it is no given to return to top form immediately after an international break. “Many people probably thought it was over, but this team has proven that it is exceptionally strong mentally.” Even so, the match was far from flawless. Anderlecht created little danger for long stretches and had to wait until the closing stages to make the difference. Bruno was not overly concerned about that. “If we play every game like this and still take the three points, I'll sign for that straight away,” he said with a smile. “Of course that's not what we intend, but that's also part of football.”
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Continue reading There was indeed little sparkling football in Bruges. Still, Bruno saw enough positive signs. “This was not our best game and certainly not champagne football. But our values did come to the fore. The players showed their qualities, including those who initially started on the bench. We can learn from that.” The coach did not want to label the win deserved or undeserved. What he stressed above all was that Anderlecht kept believing in a good outcome. “We knew Cercle would find it hard to maintain that high tempo from the opening phase. In the end, we were proved right, although we must not assume it will always turn out this way.”
Substitutes make the difference. For the decisive twist, Bruno pointed emphatically to his substitutes. In particular, Adriano Bertaccini and Mario Stroeykens, both of whom have had difficult months, were able to put themselves in the spotlight. “Man of the match is sometimes someone who has only been on the pitch for 30 seconds,” the coach stressed. He was satisfied with the signals he got from his bench and underlined that the substitutes had earned their chance. “They have worked hard to be here. Why they were allowed to come on today, they showed on the pitch. I have 33 players at my disposal and I can't field them all at once.” The late win in Bruges not only earned Anderlecht three points, but also a boost in confidence. Bruno saw his team battle until the final whistle and, on top of that, got confirmation that his substitutes are ready when called upon.
