The Belgians are discussing the serious injury to goalkeeper Paul Nardi rather than the victory over Zorya. Some say that it was important to win this match after the teams drew in the first meeting. In addition, although Gent officially qualified for the next round, they still did not solve the problem of finishing first in the group. The Belgians are surprised at how much worse Zorya have become compared to the first match in September.
Photo: gettyimages.comFrans: In some ways, Zorya is even worse than Breidablík. The Icelanders have no experience of playing at this level, while the Ukrainians have been playing consistently in European competitions. I thought Zorya would make us nervous today, but they were a very weak team.
Leenarts: After this match, I only think about the injury of Nardi, who broke his leg. It's terrible. I don't want to discuss the game, but I still thank the team for the victory and for reaching the next round. We just have to avoid losing to Maccabi to stay in first place in the group.
Bart: I can't understand how we didn't beat this team in the first match. Zorya's defence is on a par with Breidablok's. I think the Icelanders can win against such an opponent in the last round. It's a pity that it won't help them to take at least third place.
Schellens: That's exactly what we had to do in the first match. Play with desire, with the motivation to win. I was sure that we were stronger then, but we just came out without much motivation. And the luck was on the side of the Ukrainians. Today we saw the real strength of the teams.
Goethals: Ghent's best match in European competition this season. Confident victory, lots of goals. What a pity that there is no desire to celebrate and enjoy such a game. We wish Nardi well and a speedy return to the pitch.
Andy: If Zorya are in the relegation zone even in the Ukrainian league, how can they play successfully in European competitions? Of course, there are such examples in football, but they are always exceptions to the rule. That's why I wasn't worried about the result.
Deroo: I think the Ukrainians have already regretted their decision to change the coaching staff. Sometimes you need to trust the coach to change the team's game for the better. "Ghent knows this better than anyone else. A new coach is not always for the better. Sometimes a new coach just means new problems.
Jens: European Cups are always a different story. Look at Brugge, which destroys its rivals in the Conference League and then plays terribly in the championship. Look at Antwerp, which was the best team in Belgium and now sets anti-records in the Champions League. That's why I'm in no hurry to celebrate the victory over Zorya. We will see the real strength of Ghent in the spring.
Guido: I think a lot of people write not very honest comments. After the first match against Zorya, everyone wanted to win against the Ukrainians today. We didn't just score three points and win, we scored four goals and tore Zorya apart. If that didn't make you happy, then you are writing a lie.
Meiren: To be honest, I felt sorry for the Ukrainians until October this year. I mean the footballers. Because it's hard to train properly because of the war, it's hard to think only about football. But look at Maccabi, which has won three games in a row and continues to claim first place. They hadn't played football for 1.5 months, but they went out and fought. That's why today I have a different attitude towards Zorya and I don't think they need to look for excuses.
Ingolf: Today, Gent just proved that they are the best team in this group. If it wasn't for the fortuitous draw with Zorya in the first round, we would now have 15 out of 15 possible points.
Gjertsen: I would be very surprised if Zorya won or even drew today. They conceded 6 goals to Maccabi and are having big problems in the Ukrainian league. And if we couldn't win today against such a weak opponent, it would be a shame.
Vervaek: "Zorya seem to have forgotten how to play football. Today we saw a completely different team. Of course, Gent also came out with a different attitude to the game, but Zorya allowed us to do almost everything we wanted.
Bamps: I agree with our coach that today Gent just won the game they should have won. We need to keep working and play Maccabi successfully, it's too early to celebrate. So I don't have much joy, and it's not even about the goalkeeper's injury.
Lathouwer: It seems that Zorya made a stupid mistake. With the previous coach, they played much more interesting football, even if it wasn't very spectacular. And now they are playing in defence as if they have never seen the ball before. "Ghent could have scored a lot more today if they wanted to.
Ivo: "Zorya have degraded since we played them in the first round. That team was more confident. Today we played against players who don't know what they have to do on the pitch.
Kenny: It turned out that the draw in the first match was an accident. A lot of people were scolding the team then, but look where we are now. "Ghent has 13 out of 15 possible points and is in first place. If we can at least avoid losing to Maccabi, our performance in the group stage will be almost perfect.
Ceusters: After Maccabi won easily against Zorya twice and scored 6 goals in two matches, I would be surprised if Ghent drew again against the Ukrainians, who have such problems in defence.
Fore: I think the team dedicated this victory to the goalkeeper, but for Nardi's sake, Ghent must play well against Maccabi in the final round and take first place in the group.
DeBorne: After the first round, I was sure that Zorya would fight for first place in the group. I can't say I was very impressed with them then, but they played more interesting football in general. Today, they are a completely different team, which will fairly finish in third place.
Anton Prokopov
