Tomorrow night we open the ninth matchday of the Jupiler Pro League on the field of Sporting Charleroi. Last season we won 1-4 at Mambourg after goals from Mechele, Nielsen and Thiago (2x). You can read all the facts and figures about our opponent below!
The Match
On Friday, Sporting Charleroi and Club Brugge will kick off the ninth matchday of the Jupiler Pro League with a duel at Mambourg. It will be the 109th meeting in First Division between the two teams. The 54 previous away matches at Charleroi earned Club 26 wins, 17 draws and 11 defeats.
Club is already 5 away matches in a row unbeaten at the Zebras. Of the last 10 duels between them, Club lost only once (6W 3D). Last season Club was able to win both matches against the Zebras and score 4 goals each time. At home, Club won 4-2. The visitors took the lead twice through Parfait Guiagon and Vetle Dragsnes, but Club fought back with goals from Igor Thiago, Brandon Mechele, Antonio Nusa and Ferran Jutglà. At the Stade du Pays de Charleroi, Club won 1-4 (Bernier | Mechele, Nielsen, Thiago 2x).
With Gustaf Nilsson (3 goals and 4 assists), Club has the player most often involved in a goal in the Jupiler Pro League. This puts him in the top 10 leagues in Europe:
- Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting Lisbon): 11 (10 goals, 1 assist)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City): 10 (10 goals)
- Jan Kliment (SK Sigma Olomouc): 10 (9 goals, 1 assist)
- Harry Kane (FC Bayern Munich): 10 (5 goals, 5 assists)
- Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona): 9 (7 goals, 2 assists).
- Raphinha (FC Barcelona): 8 (5 goals, 3 assists)
- Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona): 8 (3 goals, 5 assists).
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid CF): 8 (3 goals, 5 assists)
- Vasil Kusej (FK Mlada Boleslav): 8 (3 goals, 5 assists)
- Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge KV): 7 (3 goals, 4 assists)
Club's Swedish striker is, along with Franck Surdez (KAA Gent), Joedrick Pupe (FCV Dender) and Yira Sor (KRC Genk), assistant king of the league.
Andreas Skov Olsen is Club's top marksman (4 goals). Only Daan Heymans (Sporting Charleroi) and Tolu Arokadare (KRC Genk) do better with 6 goals.
Club was able to score in 7 of the 8 league games, only at Standard they failed to do so. With that, Club is doing best in the league, along with KRC Genk, OH Leuven and KVC Westerlo.
The opponent
Sporting Charleroi is one of the revelations of the season. After 8 playing days, with 13 points (together with Club, Antwerp and Anderlecht), it is one of the co-followers on league leader KRC Genk.
Last weekend in the duel of the "Sportings" at Anderlecht, Charleroi did not get beyond a 0-0 draw. Remarkably, despite having the top shooter with Daan Heymans, Charleroi failed to score for the third time already.
Heymans is thus the top shooter at the Zebras and of the Jupiler Pro League with 6 goals. Adem Zorgane already handed out 2 assists.
Youssouph Badji, the Senegalese former Club Brugge attacker, traded Sporting Charleroi for Danish AGF Aarhus in early September. In addition to Badji, goalkeeper Hervé Koffi, Jonas Bager, Jules Van Cleemput, Stefan Knezevic, Ryota Morioka, Mehdi Boukamir, Nadhior Benbouali, Marco Ilaimaharitra, Achraf Dari and Valentine Ozornwafor, among others, also left the club.
The Zebras reinforced with:
- Goalkeepers Théo Defourny and Mohamed Koné
- Defenders Mardochée Nzita, Check Keita and Aiham Ousou
- Midfielders Yassine Titraoui, Noam Mayoka-Tika, Alexis Flips, Flavio Da Silva and Amine Boukamir
- Attackers Mondy Prunier, Grejohn Kyei and Raymond Asante
Since March of this year, former Club Brugge coach Rik De Mil has been the coach of Sporting Charleroi. The 43-year-old West Flemish then succeeded Felice Mazzu there, who could not keep Charleroi out of the last four. In the relegation playoffs, De Mil pulled off a 16 out of 18 with his new club, allowing them to secure retention. This season under De Mil, Charleroi seems to be on a much better path with a fifth place finish.
Cypriot defender Stelios Andreou and Ivorian goalkeeper Mohamed Koné did not miss a minute this season with Charleroi.
Milestones
- Hans Vanaken can play his 460th game for Club Brugge KV.
- Maxim De Cuyper can make his 70th appearance for Blauw-Zwart.
- Joel Ordóñez can complete his 40th official match for Club. It may also be the 25th league match for the Ecuadorian.
- For Andreas Skov Olsen it could be the 80th match in the Jupiler Pro League. His compatriot Casper Nielsen awaits his 70th league match for Club
- Brandon Mechele can play his 330th league match for FCB. Will he celebrate with a goal and strong performance like last season?
Check out Mechele's opening goal from last season below!