St. Gallen's return to European football after eleven years was a complete failure. The team from eastern Switzerland suffered a 2:6 defeat at Cercle Brugge in their Conference League opener.
Was it a lesson? Or an opponent who surprisingly fielded captain Thibo Somers, who had been declared injured the day before, and was better than expected? The fact is that Lawrence Ati Zigi had to make three saves in the first 43 minutes and three more in the second half. The visitors had 0-5 shots on goal at half-time and the final score was 2-6 after 90 minutes.
Three of the six goals were scored by Bruges striker Kévin Denkey. The 23-year-old Togolese, who scored 74 to 76 in his 140th game for the club and also set up two, needed two touches of the ball to make it 2-0 in the 25th minute and one to make it 3-0 in the 43rd minute. He made it 4-0 after the break from the penalty spot following a foul by Abdoulaye Diaby.
Denkey's strike partner had already made it 1:0 in the 3rd minute with a shot over the bottom edge of the crossbar - after a beautiful combination play with Denkey and exemplary ball processing before the finish. The home team's goals 5 and 6 were scored by Gary Magnée. His 5:1 was a dream goal from the corner of the penalty area, the 6:1 one with the heel after an indirect free kick.
Four St. Gallen chances in the opening phase
While the hosts converted their first four good chances into three goals, St. Gallen's Willem Geubbels missed a promising counter-attack (9th minute) and Lukas Görtler and Chadrac Akolo scored three times in quick succession (14th/15th/17th) when the game could have gone either way. The home team, who had started the season poorly with 17 goals conceded and 8 points from 9 games, were certainly vulnerable defensively. In front of around 1500 St. Gallen fans, Kevin Csoboth (to make it 1:4 in the 58th minute) and Felix Mambimbi (to make it 2:6 in the 81st minute) ultimately at least managed to make up for it.
If St. Gallen want to hold their own in the 36-team phase of the Conference League, coach Enrico Maassen's team will have to learn something new. Their next opponent will be AC Fiorentina at Kybunpark on October 24.
Telegram:
Cercle Brugge - St. Gallen 6:2 (3:0)
SR Kardesler (TUR). - Goals: 3. Minda 1:0. 25. Denkey 2:0. 43. Denkey 3:0. 54. Denkey (penalty) 4:0. 58. Csoboth 4:1. 63. Magnée 5:1. 68. Magnée 6:1. 81. Mambimbi 6:2.
Cercle Brugge: Warleson (32. Delanghe); Diakité, Ravych, Miangué; Magnée, Francis, Van der Bruggen, Nazinho (63. De Wilde); Somers (74. Brunner); Minda (61. Olaigbe), Denkey (74. Felipe Augusto).
St. Gallen: Zigi; Faber, Diaby, Vallci, Okoroji (46. Yannick); Görtler, Quintillà, Witzig; Toma (46. Csoboth); Geubbels (76. Milosevic), Akolo (61. Mambimbi).
Remarks: Cercle Brugge without Agyekum and others, St. Gallen without Fazliji, Karlen, Ruiz and Nuhu (all injured). Cautions: 21 Görtler, 23 Nazinho, 70 Denkey.
SDA
