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Club – Westerlo: Club Facts

Jupiler Pro League

Football is back in Jan Breydel! In our first home game in 2024, we take on Westerlo. Prepare yourself for the game with the Club Facts below.

The game

It is the 40th time that these two teams meet in the highest division of Belgian football. Last season, Westerlo managed to win 0-2 away at Bruges after two goals by Lyle Foster. Earlier this season, Club took all three points at 't Kuipje. Igor Thiago scored the only goal in that game. 

Last Tuesday, Thiago scored his 21st goal in Blue & Black. Only Carlos Bacca had a better record in the previous 12 seasons (28 goals in 2012-2013). Of all Brasilian players in European competitions, no-one found the back of the net more often than the Bruges striker. He is also Club Brugge's top scorer, with 11 goals in the Jupiler Pro League so far. Only Kévin Denkey (15), Mohamed Amoura and Anders Dreyer (both 13) do better.

Bruges' king of assists is Maxim De Cuyper. He has assisted one of his teammates on five occasions this season. It will be a special game for our defender tomorrow: he faces his former team.

Club is now unbeaten in 12, and has kept a clean sheet in 10 games already. Moreover, it is the team with the most headed goals in the Belgian competition (9 pieces). 

The opponent

KVC Westerlo is the first team to visit Jan Breydel in 2024. Its manager, Rik De Mil, left Bruges only one month ago on 12 December. Since his appointment, Westerlo took 7 points from 3 games and climbed to the 11th place in the table. 

Westerlo has 11 out of 30 on the road. They secured three points at OH Leuven and KV Kortrijk, they drew against Eupen, Standard, KRC Genk, RWDM and Antwerp, and they lost in Anderlecht, Cercle Brugge and Charleroi.

Westerlo has been defeated more by Club Brugge than by any other opponent in the Jupiler Pro League: 31 times. 

This winter, 'De Kemphanen' saw three players leave the club: Yusuke Matsuo returned to Urawa Reds in Japan, Léo Seydoux went to FC Dordrecht in The Netherlands, and Lukas Van Eenoo made a transfer to Patro Eisden. Their top scorer is Nicolas Madsen. The midfielder has netted 8 goals so far, 6 of which have come since November.

Westerlo is one of the three teams that has not received a red card yet this season, alongside Antwerp and KV Mechelen.

Milestones

  •  Andreas Skov Olsen could play his 80th game for Club Brugge.
  • For Maxim De Cuyper this would be his 20th league game in Blue & Black.
  • Michal Skoras could play his 10th match in the Jupiler Pro League.

The referee

Nicolas Laforge is the referee on Saturday. He will be assisted by linesmen Laurent Conotte and Vito Di Vincenzo, and fourth official Jan Boterberg. Lawrence Visser is appointed as VAR, together with Rien Vanyzere and Jonas Timmermans.

The Hainaut will be in charge of an official Club Brugge match for the 42nd time. The previous twenty home games ended in 12 wins, 4 draws en 4 defeats.

It will be the first team Laforge leads a match between Club Brugge and Westerlo.