Aided by the loud support of their passionate fanbase at the Jan Breydel Stadion, Brugge only needed six minutes to edge in front via Hugo Vetlesen.
In what was arguably Brugge’s first real chance in the game, the midfielder took advantage of a setup from Ferran Jutgla to break the deadlock, capping a magnificent collective play from the Blauw-Zwart.
And the Belgian outfit came only inches from doubling its lead before the 15th-minute mark, but Maxim De Cuyper’s effort went slightly wide when Dominik Kotarski was beaten.
Mbwana Samatta had a few interesting runs for PAOK, as well as generating the team’s biggest scoring opportunity with a header that went wide. But the speedy winger often lacked company in the final yards to unsettle the opposing defence.
Instead, Thiago was Brugge’s most significant scoring threat, with at least three big scoring chances in the first half. Again, however, his accuracy was found wanting, keeping the game open for a turnaround after the interval.
Knowing how lucky they were to trail by just one goal, the Greek outfit opened the second half with a more positive approach.
Brugge also pushed their lines forward, but attempts from Michal Skoras and Jutglà came just inches away from doing so. Speaking of the latter, he had perhaps the best chance of the entire second half, when he found himself all alone and with acres of space inside the six-yard box, but his shot went straight to Kotarski.
PAOK showed signs of life over the final 25 minutes, but outside of a free kick from Andrija Zivkovic and a few blistering runs from Samatta, they failed to create much of a threat to Brugge’s stout defensive unit.
Thiago, who will be suspended for the return leg, also capped a night to forget after missing a penalty in the 78th minute. The hosts closed the game out and escaped with the 1-0 win, but they should’ve earned a more significant differential ahead of the return leg next week on Greek soil, mainly due to the chances they wasted.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ferran Jutgla (Club Brugge)
