Charleroi v Club Brugge

Club Brugge are visiting the sturdy Charleroi, which is always a difficult task in the Pro League. 

The most important news surrounding this match is the situation around Brugge's playmaker Hans Vanaken. An official offer has been received from West Ham United, the Premier League club that has been pulling Vanaken's sleeve for three years now. At 29, it is now or never for the Belgian international. The supporters of Bruges launched a charm offensive last week by dedicating a large tifo to their club icon with the words "Stay Hans, don't go". Unlike the past few years, Vanaken now seems to want to leave rather than stay. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether he will play against Charleroi. If he does, we can expect a motivated player who will try to score at all costs in what might be his farewell match.

Scoring, that's exactly what many teams struggle with at Charleroi. The Zebras play physical football, and also have some technically skilled players who bring balance to the team. Ali Gholizadeh is fully fit and could be one of the revelations of the Belgian league this season.  The striker who Club Brugge loaned out to Charleroi, Youssouph Badji, is also allowed to play. He will be motivated to show himself to Club Brugge's new coach Hoefkens, who may want to bring him back to the squad next season. He started on the bench last week though.

We expect Club Brugge to take this hurdle. The capacity up front is the decisive factor. striker Jutgla is in form, Noa Lang has forgotten about his possible transfer to Milan and Skov Olsen is back healthy. A few flashes of class, coupled with a sober defensive game, should get the three points for Brugge. At the back, Belgian international Boyata has not been with the group long enough to be expected in the starting line-up.