Jan Breydel will be abrim with excitement as Club Brugge takes on Union SG at the occasion of the Belgian Cup Semis tonight. Want to gear up for this all-important clash? Read up on our Club Facts!
The fixture
Club's 40th encounter of the season sees the team face Union St-Gilloise in the first leg of the Belgian Cup Semi Finals.
In two earlier Cup meetings, the results were as follows:
- Union proved too high a hurdle back in 1914, keeping Club from claiming its very first silverware by beating the West Flemish in the Cup Final 4-1. Goals came courtesy of Achille Meyskens (3x) and Albert Carion for Union, while Edgard Van Boxtaele put his name to the score line for FC Brugeois.
- In 2006 Club Brugge came out on top in the Round of 32. Club beat then second divisionists Union 2-0 through goals by Salou Ibrahim and Sven Vermant, and would continue on to ultimately beat Standard in the Final.
So far this season, the teams have crossed swords twice. At the Dudenpark, De Cuyper equalised after top scorer Mohamed Amoura had opened the score, but another Amoura goal made it 2-1 on the night. At home Club rectified a crooked situation, as Thiago fired in a spot kick to make up for Gustaf Nilsson golden header in first half.
A spot in the Champions Play-Offs for Club means the two teams will have met 6 times in one season. This has happened only three times earlier in Club history. Back in 2016, Club Brugge KV and KAA Gent even disputed seven contests: two regular league games, two Play-Off 1 games, two Cup Semis encounters, and one Supercup.
Ever since the Cup was reformed in 1963, Club has made it to the competition's semi finals on 22 occasions. 18 times Club went through to the Final, suffering elimination only four times. The past two Semi Final seasons both ended in that stage, however: in 2018 vs Standard and in 2022 vs AA Gent. Prior to that, Club had had a run of 14 consecutive qualifications.
With 11 Cups in its prize cabinet, Club Brugge still holds the record in Belgium, the last one dating back to 2015.
On its way to the Semi Finals, Club went past the following outfits: the broadest Cup win took shape at K. Beerschot VA in the Round of 32 (0-6). Goals were scored by Igor Thiago, Andreas Skov Olsen (2x), Denis Odoi and Hugo Vetlesen (2x). In the Round of 16, SV Zulte Waregem paid a visit to Jan Breydel (4-0), with both Andreas Skov Olsen and Igor Thiago scoring a brace. Club needed to stop AA Gent's unbeaten home run in the Round of 8, Thiago scoring the sole goal of the evening (0-1).
So far, Club has made it to the back of the nets eleven times, not conceding any goal. Igor Thiago and Andreas Skov Olsen top the top scorers' list with four goals each. Setting up three team mates on their way to goal, Skov Olsen has been the most prolific when it comes to assists.
Club is having a solid home run so far, not conceding a defeat in nineteen home games so far.
After three months of victories and the occasional draw, Club faltered at Antwerp. Not only did it not succeed in holding on to that unbeaten run, it also suffered physical damage, seeing Hugo Vetlesen, Philip Zinckernagel and Maxim De Cuyper all ruled out injured. Both Igor Thiago (fifth yellow) and Hans Vanaken (red card) will not be available for this weekend's encounter with Eupen. Both are set to play tonight.
No danger of suspension on either side in case of a yellow card. Only a red card would mean that player is out for the return game, scheduled in three weeks at the Joseph Mariën Stadium, on Wednesday 28 February.
