On Sunday 21 September, matchday 8 of the Jupiler Pro League, Club Brugge host STVV, who are second in the league after Union. After six fixtures, and one game in hand against Westerlo, Club is currently sixth with ten points. Blauw-Zwart are still unbeaten at home this season.
The fixture
Historically, Club have had the upper hand against STVV with 57 wins from 95 games, including 40 victories in 48 home games. The only home defeat to the Canaries came in the 2022 Croky Cup, when STVV pulled off a 1-4 shock win. Club set things straight last season with a stunning 7-0 win, highlighted by four goals from Tzolis. Club legend Raoul Lambert found the net 11 times against Sint-Truiden, more than against any other opponent in his career.
In attack, so far the goals have been well spread this season. Vanaken leads the scoring charts with five, followed by Tzolis (four) and Seys (three). Tzolis also tops the assists list with six, underlining his creativity in the final third.
The opposition
STVV were pushing around mid-table last season, but now sit second with 14 points, behind league leaders Union. Their record is impressive: four wins, two draws and just one defeat. They scored eleven goals and only conceded four.
On the road, Wouter Vrancken’s side have one win and two draws, scoring four and conceding only two. Their summer window brought in some notable names: Sebaoui (Feyenoord), Goto (Anderlecht) and Muja (Samsunspor) were the headline signings, while Ferrari was secured on a permanent deal. In attack, Ito has stood out with three goals and an assist. He is followed by Goto (two), Yamamoto (one), Sebaoui (one) and Ferrari (one).
Milestones
Several Club players could reach personal milestones this weekend:
-
Brandon Mechele could make his 505th appearance for Club.
-
Hans Vanaken is set for his 520th outing.
-
Christos Tzolis could play his 69th game for Club Brugge.
-
Kyriani Sabbe is on the verge of his 80th appearance in blue and black.
The match officials
Lothar D’Hondt will take charge of Sunday’s game. He will be assisted by Romain Devillers and Nico Claes, with Simon Bourdeaud’Hui acting as fourth official. The VAR is Brent Staessens, assisted by Arthur Denil.