Vítor Bruno was visibly disappointed after the late defeat against Dinamo Zagreb. Still, the Anderlecht coach stood by his approach. According to him, the Purple & White had enough chances to take control of the match, but ultimately paid a heavy price for their missed opportunities.
Anderlecht could also have chosen to close down the spaces and, above all, keep a clean sheet. However, according to Bruno, that didn't suit his team. “We could have dropped back to control the game, but that's not how we want to play. We did everything we could to get a result.”
Continue reading below the articleContinue reading The coach also tried to dictate the game with his substitutions. He brought on players who could create danger between the lines and kept urging his team to go for the three points. The coach therefore found the final result particularly harsh. In the first half, he saw four clear chances to take the lead. There were also opportunities after halftime through Marten Winkler and Thelo Aasgaard. “When the ball hits the crossbar twice in a single sequence, what else can you say?”
Despite the painful outcome, Bruno remains committed to his philosophy. “I'm convinced that this approach will earn us points many times in the future. That's how I view soccer.”
Finally, he defended Oleg Reabciuk, whose unfortunate handball led to the penalty kick. “He didn't deserve this. He gave it his all for ninety minutes, just like the rest of the team. I'm proud of my players.”
For now, these kind words offer little consolation to Anderlecht, which still has nothing to show for its first two matchdays in the Europa League.
