DENDERLEEUW, BELGIUM — Club Brugge delivered a ruthless 1-5 demolition of Dender at the DENDER Football Complex, showcasing their championship credentials with a clinical attacking display that left the home faithful stunned into silence. The visitors transformed what began as a competitive encounter into a comprehensive rout, scoring five unanswered goals after falling behind early. Brugge's relentless second-half surge buried any hopes of an upset in this Belgian Pro League clash.
The match exploded into life when Bruny Nsimba stunned the traveling support by firing Dender ahead in the 23rd minute, sending the modest home crowd into raptures. However, their joy proved short-lived as Christos Tzolis began his personal masterclass, equalizing deep into first-half stoppage time at the 49th minute with a composed finish. The Greek winger struck again just five minutes after the restart, curling home a delightful effort in the 50th minute to complete the turnaround and deflate Dender's spirits.
Romeo Vermant then took center stage with a devastating double salvo that killed the contest. The striker netted his first in the 69th minute with a clinical conversion before adding his second just four minutes later in the 73rd minute, leaving Dender's defense in tatters. Aleksandar Stankovic applied the final coat of gloss with a stoppage-time strike in the 93rd minute, capping a memorable evening for the visitors.
Club Brugge's tactical superiority became increasingly evident as they dominated possession with 62% of the ball and peppered Dender's goal with 23 shots compared to the hosts' six attempts. The visitors' nine shots on target highlighted their clinical edge, while Dender managed just one effort that troubled the goalkeeper. Brugge's midfield orchestrated the demolition with precise passing and relentless pressing that suffocated their opponents.
The turning point arrived with Tzolis' equalizer on the stroke of halftime, which completely shifted the momentum and psychological advantage. Dender never recovered from that crushing blow, and their heads visibly dropped as Brugge's quality began to shine through in the second period.
The home supporters, who had created a vibrant atmosphere early on, watched in growing dismay as their team capitulated after the break. Dender made desperate attempts to stem the tide with multiple substitutions, introducing Jordan Attah Kadiri, David Hrncar, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohamed Berte, and Luc Rollet, but nothing could halt Brugge's relentless march toward victory.
Both teams will look to build on contrasting fortunes when they return to action in their upcoming Belgian Pro League fixtures, with crucial points available as the season progresses.