Club Brugge take on the visitors Mechelen in the round 1 match of Jupiler Pro League. The match will be played on Friday, July 26th at Jan Breydel Stadion (Brugge).
Club Brugge have dominated the domestic scene in recent years. The exception was the previous season, when the "golden double" unexpectedly went to Antwerp. Moreover, in 2024 there was a significant risk of ending the season without titles. However, the risky move of sacking coach Dale before the final stretch paid off. The young Niki Hayen and his team surged to the top, overtaking Royal Union at the last moment. They faced the same opponent last Saturday in the Belgian Super Cup, where they surprisingly lost 1-2, handing the trophy to their rivals.
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Mechelen was a mid-table team last season. The "Malinwa" have occasionally made their presence felt, mainly in the Belgian Cup. Notably, in 2019, the team, which had been directly accused of active and conscious involvement in match-fixing, managed to win both the second division title and the Belgian Cup. Four years later, they reached the final round again but lost, albeit in a competitive match, to Antwerp. The following season, Mark van Bommel's team, despite a tough fight, managed to win the Super Cup, though the season ultimately resulted in an 8th place finish in the Jupiler Pro League. Judging by the fact that Besnik Hasi remains in charge, this result was considered satisfactory by the club's management.
Over the past decade, Club Brugge has lost to Mechelen only once. However, in the latter half of 2023, both matches ended in draws – 1-1 and 0-0. Experts do not believe that the champions will slip up for a second consecutive time at home – the Super Cup setback should serve as motivation. The prediction is that the "Blue-Black" will secure a victory with a handicap of "-1.0 goals."
Prediction for the match: Club Brugge to win with -1.0 handicap.
