Ayase Ueda’s double keeps Cercle Brugge’s European dream alive | OneFootball

Japanese international Ayase Ueda scored two penalties and provided one assist as Cercle Brugge beat Westerlo 5-3 to keep their hopes of European football alive. Within 20 minutes the green and black were 2-0 up, after Thibo Somers had opened the scoring after five minutes. Ueda then converted his first penalty in the 18th minute, with Nene Dorgeles getting one back for the home side in the 39th minute.

Ueda then turned provider just before half-time to give Leandro Da Silva Lopes his first goal of the season and just his second since joining the side from Hull City in the summer of 2020. Ueda made it 4-1 in added time during the first half as he scored his second penalty, with Westerlo looking out of it with still 45 minutes left.

Dorgeles, on loan from RB Salzburg, got his second to make it 4-2 in the 56th minute, but just under 10 minutes later Somers got his second to kill the game. Dorgles did manage to score his hat-trick with 15 minutes to go, but that was the end of the scoring.

Westerlo are now bottom of play-off two, having lost both their games so far. For Cercle, they remain third, level on points with Standard Liege. Gent are still top with 34 points, meaning that Cercle will need to beat the Buffaloes in the next two games to have any chance of grabbing the top spot and the European ticket that comes with it. Gent beat Standard 2-1 in Liege to take control of the play-off group.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson