The first trophy of the season at stake: prediction for Club Brugge vs Union Saint-Gilloise
The Belgian Super Cup showdown between Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise will take place this Friday at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges. The reigning national champions will be aiming to kick off the new campaign with a second consecutive trophy, while the cup holders have a golden opportunity to exact revenge for last year's defeat in this very competition.
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Club Brugge: attacking firepower, but defensive worries already mounting
Club Brugge heads into their first official match of the season with mixed form. Over the summer, Ivan Leko's side defeated Kortrijk 4-2, but then fell to Feyenoord 1-3, Heerenveen 2-3, and Rennes 1-2. The Blue-Blacks consistently create chances and find the net, but are far too easily letting opponents do the same.
The off-season has seen significant changes to the champions' squad: the club sold Christos Tzolis and Aleksandar Stankovic for over €60 million combined, while Simon Mignolet hung up his gloves. Veteran Yann Sommer is expected to make his debut between the posts, while much in attack will again depend on Romeo Vermant, Carlos Borges, and Nicolo Tresoldi. A major blow remains the absence of Joel Ordonez, who will miss the match through a metatarsal fracture.
Union Saint-Gilloise: a strong summer and a crucial test ahead of the Champions League
Union have enjoyed a far more convincing pre-season than their opponents. David Hubert's men won five of their six friendlies, scoring at least twice in each, and most recently edged out Lille 2-1. This run of form breeds confidence ahead of the Super Cup, although next week the Brussels side faces Champions League qualification against Bodo/Glimt.
There have been changes at Union this summer as well, but the core of the team remains intact. After Kjell Scherpen's departure, Vic Chambér is set to take over in goal, while new signings Ondrej Krchfalushi, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Darius Olaru are catching the eye. A major overhaul of the starting XI is unlikely: Adem Zorgane, Ross Sykes, and Raoul Florucz are all expected to play key roles once again.
Match facts and head-to-head stats
- Three of the last four head-to-head matches between these teams have produced more than six yellow cards.
- In five of the previous seven meetings between Brugge and Union, at least one team failed to score.
- In their last 11 encounters, Union have four wins, four draws, and three defeats.
Evenly matched and a nervy finale: prediction for Club Brugge vs Union Saint-Gilloise
The two sides enter the match with contrasting moods. Club Brugge boasts a strong crop of talent and knows how to get results in trophy games, having won three of the last five Super Cups. However, their shaky summer defense and squad changes mean Ivan Leko's men can't be considered clear favorites.
Union look more cohesive and physically ready, but the looming Champions League tie may prompt David Hubert to carefully manage his squad's energy. In terms of squad quality and ambition, the teams are closely matched, so regular time could very well end without a winner and with few goals scored.
