Club - KV Oostende: the Club Facts

Club hosts KV Oostende tonight at home. Read all the Club Facts below and come prepared for the match!

THE MATCH

It is the 31st confrontation between the two teams in First Division. The 15 previous duels at Jan Breydel against KVO ended in 13 wins (last time 3-0 on 10/09/2021), 1 draw (2-2 on 22/05/2016) and 1 defeat (2-3 on 28/08/1994).

Club has been unbeaten at home against KVO for 28 years. Of the last 13 home matches, it won 12 of them. Blue-Black has won all of the last 10 mutual league matches. The last defeat dates back to 2017 when it lost 2-1 at the Albert Park Stadium in the playoffs.

Club was able to win 3 of its last 4 league duels by at least 3 goals difference. Before that, it took 28 home matches to win by that margin as many times. Hans Vanaken can book the 200th win in the Jupiler Pro League in his career. He can become the first player in the past 15 years in Belgian soccer to record that many wins.

No other Club player scored as many times against the Kustboys as Hans Vanaken (5 times). After the draw against Union last weekend, Club Brugge remains third in the standings.

Ferran Jutglà has been joined by Andreas Skov Olsen in the top shooter standings at Club. Both scored six goals. For coach Carl Hoefkens, it is a reunion with his former club. KVO was the last Belgian club of his playing career (2014-2015).

This is the duel between the clubs with the highest average ball possession (Club Brugge, 61%) and the second lowest (42%, KV Oostende for Seraing 39%).

THE OPPONENT

KV Oostende is the 8th club to host a home match of Club Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League. Since last winter, Yves Vanderhaeghe has been the coach of KV Oostende. The 52-year-old West Fleming was once active at the club from 2015 to 2017. He was then able to guide the club to participation in Play-Off 1 2 years in a row. After his return in February this year, he led KVO to a nice 12th place. This season the club can be found in 14th place in the standings after 14 playing days.

Last weekend, KVO recorded an important home victory against red lantern Zulte Waregem (2-1). As a result, the club is now 3 points above the relegation line. KV Oostende could not win 5 away matches already (D2 L3). KVO won at Sporting Charleroi (1-3), played equal at Cercle Brugge (2-2) and RFC Seraing (1-1) and lost at RSC Anderlecht (2-0), OH Leuven (2-1), Standard (1-0) and Antwerp (3-0).

With Brecht Capon, Sieben Dewaele, Robbie D'Haese, Guillaume Hubert, Andy Musayev and Anton Tanghe, the Kustboys have as many as 6 players with a past at Club Brugge.

Last summer, the club said goodbye to Makhtar Gueye (loaned to Real Zaragoza), Marko Kvasina (Göztepe), Kjell Scherpen (back to Brighton, now Vitesse), Frederik Jäkel (back to Leipzig, now Arm. Bielefeld) and Steven Fortes (back to RC Lens), among others.

The club reinforced itself with these players:
Goalkeeper: Dillon Phillips (Eng) [rented from Cardiff (Wal)]
Defenders: Fanos Katelaris (Cyp) [Apollon Limassol (Cyp)]
Midfielders: Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (Jpn) [after loaning out last season, now permanently acquired from Cerezo Osaka (Jpn)], Siemen Dewaele [back from loan out AS Nancy (Fra)]
Attackers: Fraser Hornby (Sco) [rented from Stade Reims (Fra)], Dapo Mebude (Sco) [Watford FC (Eng)], Mohamed Berte, Preben Stiers and Andy Musayev [own youth].

With 4 goals, David Atanga is the club's top shooter. The duo of Nick Bätzner and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is assist king with 3 assists.

MILPALS

Hans Vanaken can play his 360th match for Club Brugge. Eder Balanta can be in action for the 110th time at Blauw-Zwart. Newcomers Ferran Jutglà and Casper Nielsen can already play their 20th match for Club. Cyle Larin can make the 10th appearance.

Tajon Buchanan can finish the 20th league match for Club. Antonio Nusa can play his 10th match in the Pro League at FCB.

THE REFEREE

Brent Staessens was designated ref for this West Flanders neighbor duel. He will be assisted by linesmen Dirk Gilon and Koen Thijs and by fourth official Ken Vermeiren.

It is the second time the 26-year-old ref will lead an official match of Club Brugge. Last season he whistled Club's away match at Beerschot VA (1-3). In matches of the Austrians, he has already been referee 3 times.

Erik Lambrechts is the VAR. He will be assisted in Tubize by Ella De Vries and Christophe Snoeck.