Club - Genk: Club Facts | OneFootball

After having beaten Gent in the Supercup, Club welcomes another top team to Jan Breydel. Club Brugge host KRC Genk on the opening fixture of the new season.

Unibet – Nummer 1 in verantwoord spelen (+18)

THE GAME

For the third season in a row, Club gets to start the league season at home. After a series of 4 wins in a row on the opening day, Club could not win the league opener in the past 2 seasons, drawing 2-2 with Eupen in 2-2 and losing 0-1 to Charleroi in 2020.

This is only the 2nd time Club has had to face Genk on the first day of play. The previous time was in 2003, when Andrés Mendoza's goal sealed the three points for the blue and black.

Last week Club landed Casper Nielsen on a four-year deal. The Dane finds countryman Andreas Skov Olsen in the squad. It's the 15th season in the history of the club with at least two Danes in the selection. The first time was in the 1974-75 season when Hans Aabech, Birger Jensen and Ulrik Le Fevre wore the blue and black kit.

Last season, Club beat Genk twice in the league. At Genk, despite a numerical disadvantage, Club won 2-3. At home Club triumphed after a 3-1 win. Club and Genk were also matched in the 1/8th final of the Croky Cup. After a spectacular game (3-3), Club advanced after the penalty shootout (3-5).

It is the 79th confrontation between the two teams in the Belgian first division. The 39 previous home matches yielded 24 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats. If Club can beat the Limburgers, it will thus book its 25th home win against Genk. In the past 13 home games against Genk, Club lost only once. If Club does not lose, it is already 10 consecutive matches unbeaten against Genk in the regular league.

Club failed to keep a clean sheet in the last 13 league games against Genk. Last season Hans Vanaken scored both home and away, totalling eight goals against Genk. Only Gert Verheyen (9) scored more often against the Limburg team.

THE OPPONENT

KRC Genk is the first club to visit Jan Breydel in the new league season. Just like Club Brugge, Genk starts the season with a new coach. Wouter Vrancken joined Genk from KV Mechelen and succeeds Bernd Strock. Vrancken is a former Genk player (2006 to 2008). After his playing days were over, he was groomed as a head coach at Gravelo, Thes Sport, Lommel SK and KV Mechelen. He won the Belgian Cup and promoted to the first division with Malinwa. The 43-year-old coach is now back to Limburg in search of glory with his new team.

Unlike last season, the club hasn't been very active on the transfer market. Italian outfit Sassuolo triggered the release clause of Kristian Thorstvedt to sign the Norwegian midfielder and he has been replaced by Nicolás Castro who joined from CA Newell's Old Boys. Cyriel Dessers returned from a loan spell at Feyenoord where he played in last season's Conference League final. Academy graduate Bilal El Khannouss made the move to the first team at Genk.

Loanees Iké Ugbo, Bastien Toma, Eboue Kouassi and Sébastien Dewaest all returned to their parent club.

KRC Genk played 6 pre-season friendlies. It won against Eendracht Termien (0-4), Heist (1-8), FC Utrecht (1-2) and RFC Seraing (4-0) and lost to FC Volendam (3-2) and AEK Athens (0-2). The young Hungarian striker András Németh, who had the opportunity to make 5 substitute appearances last season, was the top marksman in the preparation with 8 goals.

KRC Genk starts the season for the third year in a row on the road. The past 2 years Genk started the season with a draw (1-1 with Standard) and a win (1-2 at Zulte Waregem).

MILESTONES

Éder Balanta can play his 100th game for the blue and black. Since his arrival in 2019 he played 70 league games, 11 cup ties, 1 Supercup and 17 European fixtures. Jack Hendry can play his 60th match in the Belgian first division, after playing 23 for Club and 36 for Oostende.

If Casper Nielsen can make his debut, it will be his 40th match in the Jupiler Pro League. Last season he only missed one match at Union due to a suspension. Another summer signing, Cyle Larin, can reach a milestone: he can play his 30th league game in Belgium after his 29 fixtures for Zulte Waregem in the 2019-20 season.

THE MAN IN BLACK

Nicolas Laforge whistles Club Brugge's league opener against KRC Genk. Laurent Conotte and Vito Di Vincenzo will assist him as linesmen. Ken Vermeiren is the fourth official. In Tubeke, Jan Boterberg is the VAR on duty, flanked by Koen Thijs and Carlos-Manuel Serra Guerreiro Alho.

It is the 38th time that Laforge leads an official match of Club Brugge. For KRC Genk, it is his 33rd match. 18 home matches supervised by Laforge ended in 11 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats for Blauw-Zwart. 13 away matches of the Limburg club under his leadership resulted in 4 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats.

OTHER FIXTURES ON THIS MATCHDAY

fr 22/07 20:45 R. Standard de Liège - KAA Gent (Ref: Lawrence Visser)

sa 23/07 16:00 Sp. du Pays de Charleroi - KAS Eupen (Ref: Bram Van Driessche) sa 23/07 18:15 KV Kortrijk - Oud-Heverlee Leuven (Ref: Lothar D'Hondt) sa 23/07 18:15 SV Zulte Waregem - RFC Seraing (Ref: Bert Put)s sa 23/07 20:45 K. Sint-Truidense VV - R. Union St.-Gilloise (Ref: Jonathan Lardot)

su 24/07 16:00 YR KV Mechelen - R. Antwerp FC (Ref: Erik Lambrechts) su 24/07 18:30 RSC Anderlecht - KV Oostende (Ref: Alexandre Boucaut) su 24/07 21:00 KVC Westerlo - Cercle Brugge KSV (Ref: Wesli De Cremer)