Extra time cannot ignore Antwerp’s European trip tomorrow in Barcelona. Geert Verheyen was the perfect man to explain that match: “I’ve played there twice. You’re afraid to get about 7 of them. I’m speaking for myself. It would be a miracle if Antwerp get something there.”
Gert Verheyen played twice for Club Brugge at Camp Nou in the early 2000s. In the UEFA Cup 1/6 final in December 2000, the score was 1-1, when he also scored. Two years later, in the Champions League group stage, the score was 3-1.
How should we appreciate the move from Antwerp, Philip Goss wanted to know from the expert. “I’ll tell you: If I went there, it would be a bit of a shock. I’m speaking for myself, right?”
“You’re always afraid to get about 7 of them in. If you see after half an hour that it’s not so bad, you think it might be okay.”
“It’s a shame for the Antwerp players that this isn’t Camp Nou. Those matches there were some of the highlights of my career.” The Camp Nou stadium is being renovated, and matches will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc.
“A third of football contacts in Belgium”
Barcelona crushed the ground against Real Betis (5-0) last weekend. “They were really good for the first time this season,” Verheyen noted.
“On the one hand, you have to run after the ball, because they have the ball a lot. But it wasn’t a high pace against Betis. He was very clean and good with the ball,” Verheyen warned Antwerp.
“The second goal came from a dead end. Nothing actually happened. One pass and it’s over. This will also be the most dangerous moment for Antwerp. You think: ‘We’re in a block, none of them are running.’ But suddenly it’s like that. There.”
“The pace comes out of nowhere, that’s something Barcelona really likes. When you play against teams like that, you live by their grace on an evening like this. If they feel like giving you a 6 or 7, they give you one. 7. If they want I think 2 or 3 is good too, that’s all.”
When you play against teams like that, you live by their grace on an evening like this. If they want to give you a 6 or 7, they will give you a 7.
Isn’t he looking forward to Vermeeren and Keita against the Spanish superpower’s midfield? “Yes, but how many contacts with the ball are these guys making? This might be a third of what they are used to in our competition.”
“They can definitely show quality, but it won’t be easy. The fact that Antwerp will achieve something there is a miracle in my opinion. It also plays a role that it’s the first match.”
And Yos sees an additional risk: “Barcelona has something to make up for in Europe. They lost in the group stage last season to Bayern and Inter, and they lost in the intermediate round of the Europa League to Manchester United.”
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