Standard Liege vs Club Brugge

Maurice Dufrasnestadion forms the backdrop for a handsomely-looking Belgian Pro League match-up between Standard Liege and Club Brugge.

Standard Liege cannot forget the 2023/24 season soon enough, as they barely sealed a dismal 12th-place finish. Head coach Ivan Leko had hoped for a more promising start to the new campaign, only for Genk to hold his troops to a tepid 0-0 draw on matchday one. Considering Genk boasted 75% ball possession and attempted 21 shots in that game, Les Rouches were lucky to return home undefeated. However, they must offer a much better performance to extend their two-game winning H2H run against Club Brugge on home turf and post their first league victory since a 4-0 demolition of Eupen at this stadium in mid-March. Since that triumph, Leko’s men have gone winless 11 consecutive Pro League outings (D6, L5), ominously conceding 3+ goals on seven occasions!

In the meantime, defending champions Club Brugge were supposed to get their title defense off to a flyer, only for Mechelen to hold Nicky Hayen’s side to a frustrating 1-1 draw at the Jan Breydel Stadium last weekend. Brugge only scored once despite mustering a whopping 28 shots, including seven on target, and will be keen to show more composure in the final third this time. That result added insult to injury after Royale Union SG overcame Blauw-Zwart 2-1 in the Super Cup showpiece in mid-July, denying Club Brugge their second domestic silverware under Hayen’s stewardship. Nonetheless, the visitors ought to take this trip in a confident mood after capping off their title-winning league campaign last term with a four-game winning streak away from home.