Club Brugge – KVC Westerlo

Disappointing result last Sunday, especially when you look at the difference in the statistics afterwards. Straighten your backs and get ready for the next two away games in four days. Games in which we can only win and our opponents can only lose.

KVC Westerlo

Let’s summarise Sunday’s statistics:

• Possession: 60 – 40
• Expected goals: 1.32 – 0.44
• Shots in the penalty area: 12 – 2
• Total shots: 17 – 6
• Corners: 7 – 1
• Saves by the goalkeeper: 1 – 4
• Ground duels won: 39 – 25
• Aerial duels won: 19 – 17

So, we were outplayed in terms of efficiency, but that can happen. The main thing is to take the positives from this and learn to do better in certain situations next time. We can and must keep repeating it: our young group of players is constantly improving and is rarely completely outplayed by opponents who have more experience.

The away game in Bruges is scheduled for the 23rd time in history. We have managed to secure one win and one draw in the past 28 years. On 8 October 2022, the moment finally arrived with a deserved victory thanks to two goals from Lyle Foster. Four players from the current squad were there: Bryan Reynolds and Mathias Fixelles were in the starting line-up, while Thomas Van den Keybus and Kyan Vaesen were the game changers. Hopefully, they have told the “newbies” this week that winning in Bruges is possible, but you have to be at your best. But who wouldn’t want to give their all at the Jan Breydel Stadium? Everyone, right? 

Club Brugge

To be honest, together with Union, the West Flemish are the best team in our league. They underlined this once again during the first group match of the Champions League. They beat AS Monaco 4-1, after previously beating Scottish Rangers 6-0 and Austrian Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 in the preliminary round. In other words, impressive performances and an unbeatable team.

In the three European matches, they scored a total of 13 goals, while in their own league they scored a total of 6 goals in the three matches against Genk, Cercle Brugge and STVV. 

And they can definitely be beaten, just ask KV Mechelen and La Louvière, who have both already managed to send the Bruges team home with their tails between their legs this season.

Their next league match is away to Standard, and in a few days you will be able to see them in Bergamo. 

Will they rotate or not? We will see tomorrow. Three players are definitely unavailable: Mignolet, Vermant and summer signing Reis.

The following players were in action against STVV: Jackers, Sabbe (Seys), Mechele, Ordonez (Spileers), Meijer, Stankovic (Sandra), Onyedika, Vanaken, Forbs (Diakhon), Tresoldi (Nilsson) and Tzolis. 

Referee

FIFA referee Lawrence Visser has been assigned to this match. For both teams, this will be the first time this season. If we dig deeper, we see that Club Brugge is Lawrence’s ‘favourite’ team. It will also be an anniversary for him, as it is the 50th time in his career that he will referee the blue and black team. We have already seen him 13 times and our Kemphanen achieved their best results with him away from home with an 8/15, two victories (Lommel 0-2 and Cercle Brugge 1-2), two draws (Kortrijk 1-1 and Anderlecht 0-0) and one defeat in Charleroi with 2-1.

Text and statistics: Peter Boons