Genk - Club: the Club Facts

Sunday night Club begins the Champions' Play-Offs with a trip to leaders KRC Genk. Club is the only team that has already participated in every edition of Play-Off I, starting fourth this year.

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THE MATCH.

Club Brugge could secure the last ticket for the Champions' Play-Offs on the last matchday. Blauw-Zwart did its job by winning 7-0 against Eupen and KV Oostende won on the field against KAA Gent, the rival for fourth place. The national champion starts the Play-Offs in fourth place, six points behind Antwerp and eight points behind Union and Genk.

The previous confrontation against Genk was in January. Then Hans Vanaken opened the score, but Genk pulled the longest straw (3-1). Club did win the three previous duels. In total, Club has already played 80 times against the Limburgers. The 40 previous away games resulted in 12 wins (last time 2-3 on 28/11/2021), 9 draws (last time 1-1 on 03/11/2018) and 19 defeats (last time 3-1 on 8/01/2023).

With Simon Mignolet, Club has a goalkeeper with confidence under the crossbar. He already kept his nets clean for 419 minutes, with another consecutive clean sheet he would also immediately be the goalkeeper who keeps his nets clean the longest this season.

Blauw-Zwart also has quality running in the front line. Club top marksman Ferran Jutglà scored a hat-trick last week and has now reached thirteen league goals. If he scores one more, he will match Charles De Ketelaere's tally. He was the fastest scoring Bruges player last season with 14 roses. In terms of assists, Jutglà also leads the standings at Jan Breydel, although he has been joined since last week after the 7-0 victory. Like Jutglà, Noa Lang, Bjorn Meijer, Andreas Skov Olsen and Hans Vanaken all now sit at five assists in the Jupiler Pro League.

THE OPPONENT

Genk closed the regular league as the leader and thus starts the Champions' Play-Offs as the leader. Union is in a tie, though, with Antwerp following on two points. Wouter Vrancken's team already scored the most goals of any team in the league (78) and since April 2013 (when Club won 0-2) Genk could also always score in a home game against Blauw-Zwart.

With Mike Trésor and Joseph Paintsil, Genk has two players in its ranks who were most often involved in a goal. The former already gave 21 assists and scored eight times this season. Paintsil scored 14 times and gave 11 assists. Still in the offensive compartment, KRC saw top shooter Onuachu leave this winter, in exchange it brought in Yira Sor, Tolu Arokadore and Anouar Ait El Hadj.

At home, Genk can present the strongest report in the Jupiler Pro League. Wouter Vrancken's team achieved 43/51. STVV came away tied, Union and Antwerp both won at the Cegeka Arena.

MILEERS

Jorne Spileers got plenty of chances from coach Rik De Mil in recent weeks, as a result the youngster is facing his tenth game as a Club player. Denis Odoi can play his 40th league game for Club and Antonio Nusa, who extended his contract this week, can finish his 25th league match.

THE REFEREE

Referee on duty Sunday is Lawrence Visser. He will be assisted by Rien Vanyzere and Thibaud Nijssen as linesmen and Wim Smet as fourth official. The VAR in Tubize is Wesli De Cremer, assisted by Lennert Jans and Bert Verbeke.

For Visser, it is the 39th official match he leads for Club Brugge. The 22 previous away matches ended in 9 wins, 10 draws and 3 defeats. For KRC Genk, it is the 31st match under the 33-year-old ref's leadership. The Genkies won 6 times, drew 4 times and also lost 4 times. Club's previous away match on the pitch was also whistled by Lawrence Visser, when it was 3-1 for Genk. In total Club won 3 of the 6 clashes against Genk when Visser was in charge of the match.

PLAY-OFFS

Club is the only one of all the teams from the JPL that has already participated in all 13 editions of Play-Off I. Genk already participated nine times. It is the third time Club has started fourth in the Play-Offs. Furthermore, Club started four times as leader, six times as second and twice as third. With 187 points, Club achieved the most number of points in the Play-Offs so far. Club also scored 187 times, also the highest number.

Midfielder Hans Vanaken is Club's top shooter in Play-Off I with seventeen goals. Noa Lang is the first chaser from the current selection with two goals. The Limburger also gave the most assists in the final competition (13, for Lokeren and Club). With 62 games, Hans Vanaken is also the Club player with the most games in Play-Off I. In the overall standings, only Silvio Proto (66 games) is doing better for now.