KV Mechelen - Club Brugge: the Club Facts

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It is the 112th confrontation between the two clubs in First Division. Of the previous 55 duels Behind the Barracks, Club Brugge could win 22 times (last time 0-5 on 28/9/2019), 14 times the confrontation ended undecided (last time 3-3 on 11/08/2012) and 19 times Malinwa kept the points at home (last time 3-1 on 24/08/2014). Club is already 10 duels unbeaten with KV Mechelen. In the last 4 away matches in Mechelen, Club won each time. Last season it won there 0-5 thanks to goals by Diatta, Diagne (2x), Schrijvers and Vanaken. Moreover, Club lost only once in the last 15 away games: the 2-1 defeat at OHL in October.

On the 11th matchday, Club could not win against KV Mechelen for the first time in 5 home matches. It started excellently with 2 Dutch goals from Ruud Vormer and Noa Lang, but Malinwa still managed to salvage a draw. Just before half-time Igor De Camargo was able to score the tying goal, 9 minutes before time Rob Schoofs headed in the 2-2.

THE OPPONENT

Malinwa is having a difficult season, as one matchday before the end of the first round, it is in 16th place in the standings with only 3 points ahead of new red lantern STVV. On home soil, it could only win once: STVV was beaten 2-0. There were also 2 draws (2-2 against Anderlecht and 3-3 against Sporting Charleroi) and 5 defeats: 2-3 against Cercle Brugge, 0-1 against KV Oostende, 1-2 against KV Kortrijk, 2-3 against Beerschot VA and 2-3 last weekend against Waasland-Beveren.

Top shooter at Yellow-Red is Geoffry Hairemans with 4 goals. KV Mechelen is the most Belgian-tinged club in First Division. On average 7.1 compatriots start at the kickoff. One of them is Aster Vranckx. The youngster is the youngest player in the First Division to play 500 minutes this season. It was recently announced that he will move to German side VfL Wolfsburg after this season. KV Mechelen already got 31 goals against this season. Only Waasland-Beveren (32) and Beerschot (37) are doing worse.

MECHELEN

Krépin Diatta increased his lead in the top shooter standings at Club. He already hit 7 goals this season. Assist kings are still Hans Vanaken and Ruud Vormet with 5 indicated goals. Ruud Vormer was involved in a goal every time in the last 6 duels with KV Mechelen (2 goals + 4 assists).

Simon Mignolet already kept the zero for 4 league matches in a row. He already kept the zero 23 times in 42 league matches at Club. No goalkeeper, with at least 10 matches played, did better in Club Brugge history. Only 6 times in history did Club keep the zero for a longer series. The last time was 5 matches in a row between 03/11/2013 and 07/12/2013. The Club record was set in 1990 by Dany Verlinden at 15 consecutive clean sheets.

Krépin Diatta can play his 90th match for Club Brugge. David Okereke can be in action for the 50th time for Blauw-Zwart. Federico Ricca can complete his 25th match for Club and Hans Vanaken can play his 200th league match for Club.

REFEREE

Jonathan Lardot has been appointed ref for the confrontation between KV Mechelen and Club Brugge. It is the 27th time the 36-year-old ref will lead an official match for Club. The 16 previous matches in that series were away matches, in which Club won 6 times, drew 6 times and lost 4 times. Lardot also whistled this season's away match at Jan Breydel between the two teams, which ended in a 2-2 draw. In 2014, Lardot also whistled a duel between KV Mechelen and Club once before. That was then Achter De Kazerne an outward match in the quarterfinals of the Cup, which ended in a scoreless draw.

OTHER MATCHES THIS MATCHDAY

di 15/12 18:45 Cercle Brugge KSV - Sp. du Pays de Charleroi
di 15/12 18:45 R. Excel Mouscron - Oud-Heverlee Leuven
di 15/12 21:00 RSC Anderlecht - KV Oostende
di 15/12 21:00 K. Sint-Truidense VV - K. Beerschot VA
Wed 16/12 18:45 KAS Eupen - KRC Genk
Wed 16/12 18:45 R. Antwerp FC - SV Zulte Waregem
Wed 16/12 21:00 KAA Gent - KV RS Waasland-SK Beveren
Wed 16/12 21:00 KV Kortrijk - R. Standard de Liège