Next Thursday the classic Croky Cup quarterfinal match between Standard and Club will take place at Sclessin. Read all the Club Facts below!
THE MATCH
This is the 11th match between the two teams in the Belgian Cup. The previous 10 duels ended in 4 wins and 6 defeats for Club. Since its reform in 1963, Club reached the quarterfinals of the Cup for the 27th time in 58 participations. 21 times (80.8%) previously it qualified for the semifinals. 5 times (19, 2%) it was uigeschakeld. Club gets the chance in this campaign to eliminate the 2 clubs it lost the 2 most recent Cup finals to.
Standard qualified for the quarterfinals of the Belgian Cup for the 32nd time since 1963. 21 times previously (67.7%) it was able to qualify for the semifinals, 10 times not (32.3%). The Rouches qualified this season by eliminating RFC Seraing and KV Kortrijk in the previous round. In the 1/16th finals, they made it easily in the derby against RFC Seraing from 1B. Through Bokadi, Jans and Klauss, Standard made it 0-3. Moulhi saved the honor for the home team, but Muleka tied the final score at 1-4. In the eighth finals, things were more difficult on the KV Kortrijk pitch. Laifis had given the Rouches the lead, but it was only in the absolute closing stages that Selemani equalized (1-1). No more goals were scored in the extensions. In the penalty kick series, 14 penalties were needed to make the difference. In the end, Standard made it 5-6 in the series after Sainsbury kicked the decisive penalty on the post.
Club Brugge eliminated Olsa Brakel and Royal Antwerp in the previous rounds. In the 1/16th finals, Club beat Olsa Brakel by generous 6-1 figures. Hans Vanaken provided an early opening goal, but Olsa surprisingly equalized. Through a hat-trick by Youssoup Badji, an own-goal and a goal by Tahith Chong, Club still made it easily. The next round featured a repeat of last season's cup final. Club knocked off the Great Old with a 3-1. Vanaken and Dost put Club on a double lead. Via Lamkel Ze, the visitors could still do something back, but Ruud Vormer pulled Club all the way over the line with the third Bruges goal.
THE OPPONENT
For Standard it is the first home match in the cup this season, for Club Brugge the first away match. Standard lost the classic at home against RSC Anderlecht last weekend. A nice honorable goal from Selim Amallah was the only thing the Rouches could do something with, unlike the visitors who were able to hit through Amuzu, Lawrence and Dauda. With the defeat, Standard drops away to 10th place. As a result, with 5 matches to go, it is already 6 points behind a Play-Off 1 spot.
In the league, Club scored 4 out of 6 against Standard Liege. At Sclessin it was a 1-1 draw thanks to goals by Diatta and Gavory (pen). Just over a month ago, FCB beat the Rouches 3-1 at home. Standard took an early lead through Bokadi, but Vanaken, Dost and Lang turned things around. However, it has been 4 years since Club was able to win another game at Sclessin, when Blauw-Zwart went there to triumph 0-3 on January 22, 2017. This was followed in Liege by 4 more draws and 2 defeats in the league and 1 defeat in the semi-finals of the cup. At the Rouches, there are 5 top shooters in the cup: Kostas Laifis, Merveille Bokadi, Jackson Muleka, Laurent Jans and João Klauss all scored 1 goal.
MILEPALS
Club's top shooter in the cup is Youssouph Badji (3), followed by Hans Vanaken (2). Tahith Chong, Bas Dost and Ruud Vormer each scored 1 time. Badji is the top national shooter in the Belgian Cup, counting from the 1/16th final.
Charles De Ketelaere is awaiting his 60th official game for Club. Matej Mitrović, who played his very first match for Club in the 2018 Belgian Cup (in which he scored immediately), may finish his 40th match for Club.
THE REFEREE
Nathan Verboomen was appointed ref for these posters in the Croky Cup. Verboomen leads an official match of Club for the 10th time and Standard Liege for the 13th time. 3 times the 32-year-old ref whistled an away game of Club and they were all won by FCB. The 6 home matches of the Rouches he whistled ended in 5 wins and 1 defeat. This is the first match between Standard and Club to be conducted by Verboomen. Earlier this season he whistled Club Brugge's home game against KAS Eupen (3-0) and the away games against Zulte Waregem (0-6) and Cercle Brugge (1-2). Of Standard, he only whistled their away match against Beerschot (0-3).
OTHER MATCHES THIS ROUND
Wed 03/03 18:00 KAS Eupen - KAA Gent
Wed 03/03 20:45 RSC Anderlecht - Cercle Brugge KSV
do 04/03 18:00 KRC Genk - YR KV Mechelen