Our prediction for this Belgium Pro League match:
Sparkles will be flying when Club Brugge and Anderlecht lock horns in the Jupiler League derby on Sunday. Ten-man Brugge suffered a 3-1 loss to Milan in the Champions League round 3, but their performance was anything but poor. Fit-again winger Andreas Skov Olsen is pushing for a start, while both Bjorn Meijer and Gustaf Nilsson remain in the recovery room.
The capital club, on the other hand, produced an under-par performance in a 2-1 loss to rock-bottom Beerschot at the weekend, which is probably the main reason why home win should be considered. Tired legs could prove to be a big problem for the visitors as well as they faced Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday evening. Experienced duo Thorgan Hazard – Jan Vertonghen remains on the sidelines with injuries for the visiting team, while talented midfielder Marco Cana is unlikely to be risked.
Highlighted Player (Hans Vanaken):
Hans Vanaken is a Belgian footballer who was born in Neerpelt on August 24, 1992. Hans Vanaken is a product of PSV football academy, joining the club at the age of 10, but in 2008 he joined Lommel United. The Belgian midfielder continued wearing the green shirt at senior level, scoring 21 goals in 80 appearances for the club in the league.
In 2013 he moved to Lokeren and after spending two seasons at Daknamstadion, he signed a deal with famous Belgian team Club Brugge. Vanaken has established himself as one of the team’s key players and he is likely to play an important role in the Jan Breydel Stadium outfit in the 2019/2020 Europa League season.
His main position is attacking midfielder, but he is used as both central midfielder and left midfielder as well. He has a contract with Club Brugge until June 30, 2024.
Highlighted Team (Anderlecht):
Founded on 27 May, 1908, Anderlecht are considered one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Paars-wit are the dominant force in the Belgian Pro League and in 2014 they won their 33rd domestic trophy. Anderlecht did remarkably well to win the UEFA Super Cup title in 1983, with the team defeating Benfica in the final of the competition.
The Belgian outfit recorded a 1-0 over the Eagles in the first leg, with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw in the return leg. Anderlecht play their home games at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the venue that was opened in 1917. The stadium was renovated in 1983 and current capacity of Anderlecht’s home ground is 28 063.
The Paars-wit have long-standing rivalries with the likes of Standard Liege and Club Brugge, whilst FC Brussels were considered the club’s bitter opponents in the past. The likes of Besnik Hasi, Lucas Biglia, Filip De Wilde and Romelu Lukaku are some of Anderlecht’s notable players.