On the opening day of the Champions' Play-Offs, Blauw-Zwart face a top-of-the-table clash against Anderlecht. Everything you need to know about the match can be found here!
De match
After the international break, it's time for the final phase of the Belgian league. The Champions' Play-Offs are now in their 15th edition, with Club Brugge being the only team to have participated in every one.
Club Brugge begins the play-offs in second place for the seventh time. Previous occasions were in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022. In total, Blauw-Zwart has played 128 PO1 matches, winning 63, drawing 28, and losing 37. With 217 points earned and 218 goals scored, they are the most successful team in Play-Off history.
Sunday marks the 189th meeting between the two clubs in the Belgian league and the 95th time Anderlecht will visit Brugge. Of those 94 home games, Club Brugge has won 44, while Anderlecht has left with the win on 19 occasions. The two sides have faced off 13 times in the Play-Offs at Jan Breydel, with six victories for Club, four for Anderlecht, and three draws. What's more, Blauw-Zwart has won the last four league encounters between the two.
Earlier this season, Club Brugge took six points from six against Anderlecht. In October, Blauw-Zwart won 2-1 thanks to goals from homegrown talents Romeo Vermant and Chemsdine Talbi. Jan-Carlo Simić’s late strike was merely a consolation. In January, Club triumphed 3-0 at Anderlecht's ground. Ferran Jutglà put the game to bed before half-time with a brace, and Gustaf Nilsson sealed the win in the second half.
The opponent
Anderlecht begint deze play-offs op de vierde plaats. Het is de tweede keer dat de Brusselse ploeg als vierde aan de eindfase begint. In de afgelopen zeven seizoenen eindigde Anderlecht vier keer buiten de top 3, evenveel als in de 45 seizoenen daarvoor.
Zondag is de eerste wedstrijd van de nieuwe coach van Anderlecht, Besnik Hasi. Na de reguliere competitie werd David Hubert ontslagen, waarna de Albanees Hasi zijn tweede termijn bij Anderlecht begon. Hasi was van 2014 tot 2016 eerder al coach bij de club en leidde Anderlecht in zijn eerste jaar naar de landstitel en de Supercup. In de jaren daarna kon hij het succes niet herhalen, maar eindigde hij wel als derde en tweede met de Brusselse ploeg.
Milestones
- Casper Nielsen could make his 120th appearance for Club Brugge.
Jorne Spileers is on the verge of his 50th league match for Blauw-Zwart.
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Chemsdine Talbi could feature in his 30th league game for Club.
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Brandon Mechele is set to play his 370th top-flight match (351 for Club, 18 for STVV). Even more impressively, he could mark his 500th career appearance, having already featured 481 times for Club and 18 for STVV
Match officials
Jasper Vergoote will take charge of Club Brugge’s first Play-Off encounter, assisted by Michael Geerolf and Martijn Tiesters, with Nathan Verboomen as the fourth official. Bert Put will be on VAR duty, supported by Koen Thijs and Dieter Van Esch.
Vergoote has officiated 18 Club Brugge matches, including two in the play-offs. Under his watch, Club has played seven home games, securing five wins and two draws.