The Belgian First Division kicks off this weekend and reigning champions Club Brugge host Eupen on Sunday. Club Brugge have won back-to-back Belgian First Division trophies and are aiming for a third straight piece of league silverware.
Club Brugge finished the Belgian First Division with 76 points from 34 matches. They were 16 points ahead of second-place Royal Antwerp. Eupen did not see the same type of success in 2020-21, however.
New shirt, new number! 🌟 @SMignolet SHOP NU | https://t.co/YQytmtB6Lt pic.twitter.com/RkSroQGOol— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) July 22, 2021
New shirt, new number! 🌟 @SMignolet SHOP NU | https://t.co/YQytmtB6Lt pic.twitter.com/RkSroQGOol
Eupen collected 43 points from 34 matches. They ended 12th in the league with a goal difference of –11. Eupen conceded the sixth-most goals with 55 and the fourth-fewest goals with 44.
Club Brugge are unbeaten in eight straight Belgian First Division games against Eupen. Last season, the Blue-Black won both First Division matches against Eupen by a combined scoreline 7-0.
Manager Philippe Clement led Club Brugge to 37 points at home last term. They were the best home team in the Belgian First Division scoring 34 goals and conceding just 15.
Eupen were middle of the road in terms of away points last season. They recorded 22 points from 17 away matches. Eupen recorded a –5-goal difference.
They scored a mere 20 away goals and conceded 25 times to opponents. The Pandas need to improve their goalscoring this season to have any success of finishing in the European places.
Former Ajax youth player Noa Lang led Brugge in goals last season with 14 strikes in 24 appearances. His loan deal from Ajax was made into a permanent deal this summer.
Lang is a target of Leeds United and could still move away from Brugge before the end of the transfer window.
Lang was Brugge’s only player to score double-digit goals last term in the Belgian First Division. Eupen were led in goals last term by Smail Prevljak with 16 goals in 27 appearances.
Prevljak was Eupen’s only player to score more than 10 goals last term.
Eupen’s recent record against Brugge has been poor. They failed to win each of their last eight matches versus Brugge.
Last season, Brugge won both matches against Eupen, scoring seven goals and allowing zero goals.
Lang and Krepin Diatta scored four of Brugge’s seven goals last season playing versus Eupen. While Lang will line up against Eupen, Diatta won’t. Diatta was sold to Monaco in January 2021 for €20m.
Brugge are on a roll against Eupen in head-to-head matches and should continue their winning form this weekend.
Brugge should claim another win with over 2.5 goals scored to kick off the Belgian First Division campaign.