Club - Union: The Club Facts

Tonight we host Union SG in the first round of the semi-finals of the Cup of Belgium. Are you fully prepared for this important match? You can do so with the Club Facts!

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The Match

The fortieth match of the season is the outward match in the semi-finals of the Croky Cup against R. Union St.-Gilloise.

It is the third time in history that both teams have faced each other in the cup of Belgium. These were the 2 previous encounters:

In 1914, Union prevented Club from winning its first prize. It knocked Club in the final 4-1. Achille Meyskens (3x) and Albert Carion scored for Union, Edgard Van Boxtaele saved the honor for FC Brugeois.

In 2006, Club Brugge was too strong 2-0 in the 1/16 final against the then second division club Union, with goals from Salou Ibrahim & Sven Vermant. In that season, Club would win the cup final against Standard.

In the regular league both teams already played each other twice. In the Dudenpark, Union won 2-1 against Club. Top marksman Mohamed Amoura scored 2 times, Maxim De Cuyper saved the honor for Club. At home, Club was still able to make up a deficit through Gustaf Nilsson thanks to Igor Thiago, but stayed with a 1-1 draw.

If Club can reach the Champions Play-Offs, it will play Union 6 times in a season. It has only happened 3 times before that Club has played the same opponent so many times in 1 season. In 2015-2016, Club Brugge KV and KAA Gent even played each other 7 times: 2x in the regular league, 2x in Play-Off 1, 2x in the Cup semifinals and 1x in the Super Cup.

Since the cup reform in 1963, Club reached the 1/2 final of the cup 22 times before. 18 times Club advanced to the final (81.8%) and only 4 times (18.2%) Club was eliminated.

In the past 3 participations in the semi-finals, Club did unfortunately get eliminated twice (in 2018 vs Standard and in 2022 vs AA Gent). Before that, there was a series of 14 consecutive participations in which Blauw-Zwart was able to qualify for the final each time.

Club Brugge is the record cup winner with 11 wins. But the last win dates back to 2015.

Club eliminated these teams on its way to the semifinals:
In the 1/16 final, Club was far too strong for K. Beerschot VA (0-6). It became the biggest away win in history for Club in the cup (0-6). Goals were scored by Igor Thiago, Andreas Skov Olsen (2x), Denis Odoi and Hugo Vetlesen (2x).

In the 1/8th final, SV Zulte Waregem visited Jan Breydel (4-0). Both Andreas Skov Olsen and Igor Thiago scored a brace.

In the 1/4th final, Club served AA Gent its first home defeat of the season (0-1). Igor Thiago felled the verdict.

Club has already scored 11 times in this cup campaign and has not yet conceded a single goals against. Igor Thiago and Andreas Skov Olsen are both top shooters in the cup with 4 goals.

Skov is also the assist king. He set a teammate up for a goal 3 times in the cup.

Club has not yet lost at home this season. If it succeeds again on Wednesday, it will be unbeaten 20 home games in a row.

Last weekend Club went down for the first time in 3 months. It lost 2-1 at Antwerp. Club took no points from the Bosuil, though injuries to Hugo Vetlesen, Philip Zinckernagel and Maxim De Cuyper. The suspensions of Igor Thiago and Hans Vanaken are for the league match against Eupen. So on Wednesday Club can count on them.

In the cup, both Club and Union have nobody with yellow danger for the return match. Only red cards could result in suspensions for the return game. In 3 weeks time the return game will take place at the Joseph Mariënstadion on Wednesday, February 28.

The opponent

On Wednesday, league leader Union will be a guest at Jan Breydel.

It has already collected 58 points this season and is already 10 points ahead of second (RSCA) and 17 points ahead of third (Club and Antwerp). Union is the first club sure to participate in the title playoffs.

Alexander Blessin's team was able to register a nice win last Saturday on the field of KRC Genk (0-1). The Limburgers had more points last season (62) than Union this season after 24 playing days, but still could not become champions in the end.

Union joins Club and AA Gent in the Conference League after the New Year. In the intermediate round, the Brusselers will have to face German Eintracht Frankfurt.

Union reached the semifinals by eliminating these teams:

In the 1/16 final, second national RFC Meux was the guest of the Duden Park. Union won with modest 2-1 figures. Fedde Leysen and Mathias Rasmussen scored for USG.

In the 1/8th final, SK Beveren was eliminated (0-2). Union won thanks to 2 Beveren owngoals.

In the quarterfinals Union was too strong for the 8th time in a row for city-mate RSC Anderlecht. It became 2-1. Union took a double lead through Loïc Lapoussin and Kevin Rodríguez. Anders Dreyer's counter goal came too late.

So with Fedde Leysen, Mathias Rasmussen, Loïc Lapoussin and Kevin Rodríguez, Union has 4 different top shooters in the cup with 1 goal.

Cameron Puertas and Noah Sadiki are the 2 assist kings (1).

Union won the cup 2 times, each time with a final against a Bruges team. The last cup victory was 110 years ago. Then Union won 4-1 against Club. The season before, the club had also won the cup 3-2 against Cercle Brugge.

Union may be able to count on defender Koki Machida, who was eliminated with Japan at the Asia Cup last weekend. Mohamed Amoura has also already returned from the Africa Cup. Only Lazare Amani is still active at AFCON in home country Ivory Coast. He will play in the semifinals against DR Congo on Wednesday.

This winter mercato has been fairly quiet at Union. Defender Matthew Sorinola (Eng/Nga), who did not appear in action once this season), moved to Plymouth Argyle (Eng).

Incoming was only Heinz Lindner, an Austrian goalkeeper who came over from Switzerland's FC Sion.

Milestones

• Igor Thiago could play his 40th match for Club.
• Éder Balanta can play his 15th cup match at Blue-Black.

Referee

Bram Van Driessche was appointed ref for the cup topper. He will be assisted by Yves De Neve & Quentin Lesceux (linesmen) and Wim Smet (fourth official).

Bert Put is the VAR on duty, flanked by Rien Vanyzere and Dieter Van Esch.

It will be Van Driessche's 27th time leading an official match at Club. The 12 previous home matches under his watch ended in 8 wins and 4 draws for Club.

13 times before, the 38-year-old East Flanders ref led a Union match. Union's 7 previous away matches with him as ref resulted in 6 wins and 1 draw.

Once before, Van Driessche refereed a game between the two teams: last season in the Play-Offs when Club went on to win 1-3 in the Dudenpark.

Earlier this season, he refereed Club's home matches against Sporting Charleroi (4-2) and Antwerp (2-1). For Union, he refereed the home match against RSC Anderlecht (2-0) and both the away and home matches against Cercle (2-1 and 0-2 wins).