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Cercle - Club: The Club Facts

Jupiler Pro League

Sunday it's time for the Bruges derby! Find out all about this meeting with our neighbors thanks to the Club Facts!

The game

The 21st away game of the season for Club Brugge is also immediately the shortest of the season. Cercle hosts the Bruges derby. The Association and Club face each other for the 156th time in First Division.

In the last 2 away derbies Club could not win. Last year Club took the lead 2 times (through Lang and Nielsen), but just as many times Cercle equalized (through Denkey and Somers). The season before, Club went down 2-0 at Cercle after goals from Miangue and Sousa.

Since Club's promotion to First Division in 1959, it has never happened that Club could not win 3 away derbies in a row.

In the last 14 duels between them, Club lost only once (8W 5D): that 2-0 defeat in 2021.

Earlier this season, no goals were scored in the home derby. This despite 34 goal attempts by both teams. It was the only home game across all competitions in which Club could not score at home.

There are still 5 games to play in the regular league. Together with Antwerp, Club Brugge is the only team to face a team from the top 9 in 4 of the 5 remaining matches (Cercle Brugge, RSC Anderlecht, KRC Genk and K. Sint-Truidense VV). If Club can win the derby, it will have at least a 7-point margin to reach the Champions Play-Offs, with 12 points remaining.

Last Saturday Club had to face KAS Eupen at home without the suspended Igor Thiago, Hans Vanaken and Hugo Vetlesen. Nevertheless, Club made it through with generous 4-0 figures. It was already the 12th time this season that Club won an official match with at least 3 goals difference.

Club is only two goals away from their 100th goal of the season. Across Europe, only Fenerbahçe SK (Tur, 107) and PAOK FC (Gre, 99) scored more often than Club Brugge (98). Since Club plays ahead of PAOK, Club could become the 2nd club to surpass the 100 goal mark this season.

The biggest contributor to Club's goals is Igor Thiago with 26 goals (16 in the league). This week it was announced that next summer he will leave Club after only one year for England's Brentford FC. This is the duel between the 2 best goal scorers in the league. Only Kévin Denkey scored (4 times) more than the Brazilian.

Maxim De Cuyper has caught up with Philip Zinckernagel as assist king of Club Brugge. Both players set a teammate up for a goal 6 times in the league.

Raphael Onyedika returned this week from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he lost the final with Nigeria to host Ivory Coast. The midfielder is the only player at risk of suspension. If he were to incur a yellow card, he would miss the topper against Anderlecht. Last season, the midfielder made his league debut at Club against Cercle.

There were already 7 teenagers playing in the Jupiler Pro League at Club this season, the highest number in the league. Last weekend, Bi Abdoul Kader Yameogo and Víctor Barberà made their debuts. Also playing this season were Jorne Spileers, Antonio Nusa, Kyriani Sabbe, Joel Ordóñez and Romeo Vermant.

Casper Nielsen has already scored 12 goals for Club. Since his arrival, no player has scored as many times as he has in Bruges derbies (2 times).


The opponent

Cercle will play their home game of the year against Club on Sunday.

Although there could possibly be 2 more confrontations in the Champions Play-Offs, as Cercle is in fifth place after 25 playing days, above favorites KAA Gent and KRC Genk.

The team of Austrian with Bosnian roots Miron Muslic achieved a 6 out of 6 in the past two duels against top 9 club STVV (4-1) and KAA Gent (1-2). In the past 3 league games, Cercle was able to score at least 2 goals each time.

On their own field, the Association already gained 22 points. Only 5 teams did better.

With the Togolese Kévin Denkey Cercle has the national top shooter in its own ranks. In his fourth season with Green-Black, the 23-year-old striker already scored 20 times, which is more than in the 3 previous seasons combined.

Alan Minda and Thibo Somers are Cercle's assist kings (4 assists).

Cercle can't count on its captain in the derby, though. Somers, like their Portuguese defender Nazinho, is suspended for this game. Somers, apart from goalkeeper Warleson, played the most minutes for his team this season.

This winter Cercle saw attacking midfielder Yann Gboho leave for France's Toulouse FC. He narrowly lost with his new club in the Europa League to SL Benfica (2-1) last Thursday.

With an average age of 23.6, the neighbors have the youngest starting eleven in the Jupiler Pro League. Cercle already kept the zero 8 times this season. Only Antwerp (10) and Club Brugge (9) are doing better.

Cercle already received 56 yellow cards this season. Only OHL (61) received more in the league.

Milestones

  • Simon Mignolet can play his 170th league game for Club.
  • Raphael Onyedika can finish his 50th league match for Blue-Black.
  • Both Igor Thiago and Maxim De Cuyper can play their 25th league match at Club.
  • It will be the 60th game in the regular league of the Jupiler Pro League for Ronny Deila (34 with Standard + 26 with Club).
  • Brandon Mechele can play his 325th match in First Division (306 for Club and 18 for STVV).
  • Denis Odoi can play his 270th game in the Jupiler Pro League (69 for STVV, 33 for Anderlecht, 109 for Sporting Lokeren and 58 for Club).

The referee

Jonathan Lardot is the referee for the derby. He is assisted by Quentin Blaise & Florian Lemaire (linesmen) and Wim Smet (fourth official).

The VAR is Wesli De Cremer, flanked by Ella De Vries and Istvan Lagaert. For the 39th time, the 40-year-old ref is whistling an official match of Club Brugge. The previous 20 away matches of which resulted in 8 wins, 8 draws and 4 defeats.

Earlier this season, Lardot whistled Club's home matches against KRC Genk (1-1), KAA Gent (2-0) and KV Kortrijk (3-3). Of Cercle, he directed the away match at Antwerp (1-0) and the home match against Standard (1-1).

Last season was Lardot's first time ref at a Bruges derby. The away derby ended 2-2.