Standard - Club: The Club Facts

Next Sunday we head to Liege for the duel with Standard de Liège. Perfectly prepared for the match? Then read the Club Facts here!

The match

The last match before the international break is the away match to Sclessin where Club will play Standard Liege. It is the 189th confrontation between the two teams in the highest division of Belgian soccer. Club played more league matches against no other club than against Standard.

Last season Club went down with heavy 3-0 figures in the Fiery City. It was current player Philip Zinckernagel who killed Club then with 2 goals for the Rouches. William Balikwisha recorded the final score. At Jan Breydel, Club did manage to triumph last year thanks to goals from Ferran Jutglà and Bjorn Meijer (2-0).

If Club can win on Sunday, it will book its 75th win against the Rouches in First Division. Only against Cercle Brugge (91) and Antwerp (78) did Club win more often in the league.

Club's top shooter in the Jupiler Pro League is still Andreas Skov Olsen with 6 goals. Only Aboubakary Koita of STVV (7 goals) is doing better. Last game day against STVV, the Dane scored his 25th goal for Blauw-Zwart.

Maxim De Cuyper is, together with Théo Leoni of RSCA, the assist king of Belgium (5 assists). Each of the last 2 league goals came at his behest.

Ronny Deila awaits a warm welcome against his former club in Liege. Last season he was able to guide Standard to a top 7 spot for the first time in 3 seasons.

Philip Zinckernagel is also an old acquaintance of the club. Last season he was able to score 10 times in 28 matches for the Rouches. After FK Bodø/Glimt Thursday, he plays for the second match in a row against an ex-club.

Milestones

• Brandon Mechele can play his 390th official match for Club.
• Casper Nielsen can make his 60th appearance for FCB.
• Ferran Jutglà can play his 40th league match for Club Brugge.
• Igor Thiago and Hugo Vetlesen can play their 10th game in the Jupiler Pro League for Club.
• Denis Odoi can play the 260th game in the Belgian First Division. He played 109 for KSC Lokeren, 69 for STVV, 48 for Club and 33 for Anderlecht.
• Simon Mignolet can stand between the posts in First for the 220th time in a Belgian league match. He played 153 for Club and 66 for STVV.

The opponent

Sunday Standard hosts Club Brugge.

The man at the helm at Standard is former Club player and coach Carl Hoefkens. Hoefkens, who celebrated his 45th birthday on Friday, was coach at Blauw-Zwart's youth and pledges, and assistant at the A-team under Clement and Schreuder. Last season at Club he was able to secure a Super Cup victory and a Champions League victory, but then things went wrong. On Dec. 28, roads parted between him and Club after a poor period in the league and elimination in the cup.

At the Rouches, there was a difficult start with 1 in 12, but after some player reinforcements at the end of the mercato, he was still able to turn the situation around. Meanwhile, the Rouches are already 5 matches unbeaten (2W 3D) and could climb to a safe 12th place. At home, Standard could not win yet this season. It played equal against R.W.D.M. (1-1) and Westerlo (0-0) and lost to Union (0-1) and Cercle (0-1).

At home, the Rouches could only score once. Should that also fail against Club, they will break a record from 1913-1914 when Standard could only score 2 times in the first 5 home matches.

Defensively, Standard is on point. Only Antwerp (4) had fewer goals against than Standard (8).

Top shooter is newcomer Wilfried Kanga with 3 goals. There are 6 players who gave 1 assist: Steven Alzate, Merveille Bokadi, Cihan Çanak, Aron Dønnum, Wilfried Kanga and Hayao Kawabe.

The referee

Erik Lambrechts was designated ref for the topper. He will be assisted by linesman Jo De Weirdt and Kevin Monteny and by fourth official Brent Staessens.

Wesli De Cremer is the VAR on duty. Thibaud Nijssen and Glenn Claes assist him in his task. The 39-year-old ref will be whistling Club Brugge's 34th official match. Club's 12 previous away matches under his direction ended in 6 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats.