Nicolo Tresoldi scored a hat-trick as Brugge took advantage of Inter’s defensive mistakes, with Romeo Vermant also finding the net. Lautaro Martínez scored twice for the hosts, while Ange-Yoan Bonny’s late goal could not prevent the Belgian side from claiming a memorable win.
Former West Ham United midfielder Potts insisted the result was no accident, pointing to the preparation led by head coach Ivan Leko and the team’s determination to compete rather than simply make up the numbers.
“We had a very precise game plan. All credit to the coach,” Potts said.
Asked whether the victory was one of the biggest surprises in Belgian football, he added: “Yes, but we came here to win anyway. That has always been our objective.”
Siquet was equally proud of the performance, describing the evening as one of the most memorable of his career. He said Brugge had approached the match believing they could trouble Inter, despite the quality of the Italian side’s attacking players.
“It is one of the five best nights of my career. We came here with the idea that we would not turn up as the weaker team, that we would try to get a result and surprise everyone,” he said. “They had a lot of the ball, but in the end they created few chances. We did well to take our opportunities at the right moments. I am very proud of the whole team.”
Siquet said the result reflected careful analysis of Inter’s defensive weaknesses, particularly the space they left when pushing forward.
“Does this victory surprise me? No. We had analysed our opponents and knew they were a little more vulnerable defensively, even though they have players of great quality going forward,” he said. “We saw it in the final 30 minutes, when they left spaces. Against us, it is a mistake to give us so much room on the counter-attack. Thanks to our speed and efficiency, we managed to take our chances.”
Tresoldi’s treble was a major part of the win, and Siquet was delighted that his team-mate had delivered on a special occasion.
“I hope he does not stop here. I am very happy for him. He really wanted to have a great match in this stadium and had talked about it for a long time,” he said. “He got what he deserved in the end. He works hard and is a good person who puts a lot into his work.”
Brugge have frequently lost key players during transfer windows, but Siquet believes their recruitment has kept the squad competitive. The club’s target in the league phase is to finish in the top 24 and reach the knockout play-offs.
The win over Inter Milan gives them a significant boost towards that goal and reinforces Potts’ message that Brugge travelled to Milan with genuine belief in their plan.