Genk - Club: the Club Facts

After a fantastic 4-0 victory at home against KRC Genk on Wednesday, Blauw-Zwart travels to Genk on Sunday for another clash between them. Prepare optimally for the match with the Club Facts!

The Match

On Wednesday, both teams faced each other at Jan Breydel. In a 4-0 victory, Jutglà, Skóraś, Thiago and De Cuyper provided the goals. Ferran Jutglà is on a good run, having been involved in 41 goals for Blauw-Zwart since his arrival (26 goals, 15 assists). In his last 10 official games, he had a foot in 10 goals (4 goals, 6 assists). Michał Skóraś is also in blood form and important for FCB. With 2 goals and 2 assists in the Champions' Play-Offs, he already has a share in 4 goals.

Wednesday's Bruges win is the biggest league defeat for KRC Genk in almost six years (5-0 at Standard in May 2018).

On Sunday, FCB begins a run of three consecutive away games. First it travels to Limburg, then follows the away game against Fiorentina and rounding out the week they do so against Antwerp at the Bosuil.

KRC Genk and Club Brugge face each other for the ^86th time. The previous 42 away games in Genk ended in 13 wins, 9 draws and 20 defeats. Earlier this season, Blauw-Zwart also visited the Cegeka Arena in the regular competition. Then it won 0-3 after goals by Vetlesen, Odoi and Skov Olsen. The last time FCB was able to win in Play-Off I on Genk's field dates back to April 2013.

Club Brugge has been unbeaten in the Champions' Play-Offs for four games in a row. It has been since the late summer of 2022 (then six wins in a row) that Club set such a series again.

Blue-Black already managed to win an official match by more than three goals difference 16 times this season. That equals the record from 2002-03. FCB already hit 127 goals this season. Club needs nine more goals to equal the 2014-15 record (136).

With six wins and one draw in seven official matches, Nicky Hayen is making the best start as Club coach since Trond Sollied in 2000. Under the Norwegian, Club won its first 16 matches.

The opponent

The Limburgers are still unbeaten in these playoffs with two wins and one draw at home. They managed to win at home against Union (1-0) and Anderlecht (2-1). Against Cercle, they played a draw (1-1).

23-year-old Tolu Arokodare is KRC Genk's top shooter with eleven goals, three of which came in the playoffs. The assist king of the Genkies is Bilal El Khannouss. He already put a teammate in the way of a goal six times in the regular season, but during the playoffs he did not yet manage to hand out an assist.

KRC Genk can count on Joris Kayembe, who was suspended for two matches. Both KRC Genk and Club Brugge have an average age of 24. Of all the Champion's Play-Off teams, only Cercle Brugge is younger (23 years old).

Milestones

• Hugo Vetlesen can play his 50th game for Club Brugge.
• Denis Odoi can play his 275th match in the Belgian First Division. He played 69 matches for STVV, 33 for RSC Anderlecht, 109 for Sporting Lokeren and 63 for Club Brugge KV.

The referee

The referee on duty will be Lawrence Visser. He is assisted by linesmen Rien Vanyzere and Michele Seeldraeyers. The fourth official is Brent Staessens. The VAR in Tubize is Jasper Vergoote, flanked by Michael Geerolf and Istvan Lagaert.

It is the 42nd time Visser will whistle an official match at Club. The 24 previous away matches of those ended in 9 wins, 11 draws and 4 defeats. Earlier this season, he led the away match in the regular league at RSC Anderlecht.

Of KRC Genk, he whistled 35 previous matches. The 16 home matches from that series resulted in 7 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats. In this season he whistled KRC Genk's league matches at Union (0-2) and Westerlo (1-1) and the play-off match at home against Cercle Brugge (1-1).