Sporting CP v Club Brugge KV

 

Sporting CP v Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging

Wednesday November 26th, 2025

Estádio José Alvalade 

Champions League Matchday 6

The Warm Up 

A feeling of déjà vu as the lions take on Club Brugge for the second straight season in the new group stage of the new Champions League. Last time out in the Jan Breydel Stadium which they share with city rivals Cercle Brugge, the Belgians won 2-1. The defeat was the fourth straight in all competitions for the new mister João Pereira whose run as Sporting coach would last just seven games. The lions raced to a 1-0 lead after just 2 minutes and 18 seconds when Araújo's shot came back off the post into the path of Geny and he gratefully tucked it into the net. The home side equalised on 23 minutes when a shot deflected off Eduardo Quaresma inside the six yard box. Full admission I'd backed the youngster to score anytime so I claim full responsibility for his own goal and I sat on the naughty step for 46 minutes thinking about my actions. Either that or to get out of watching the game, my memory isn't what it used to be. The winner came 7 minutes from time as the lions sat back and tried unsuccessfully to see out the 90 minutes for a point. 

Despite keeping five sheets in the group stage of last season's competition they qualified for the play offs in last place, one place behind the lions on goal difference. 

However unlike Sporting who would be defeated by BVB, the Belgians claimed the scalp of Atalanta who the season before had claimed the Europa League title as well as giving the lions a torrid time over the course of four separate meetings in the same competition. However their fortune ran out in the knockouts proper losing 6-1 on aggregate to Aston Villa. Going into this round of fixtures they sit 22nd above Frankfurt and Napoli in the play off spots, three points off Sporting who occupy 13th place. Last season's record was the same as Sporting's, played 8, won 3, drawn 2, lost 3. Their goals for just 7 compared to the lions 13, conceding 11, 1 less than the lions. Sporting if you discount the Arsenal game conceded on average 1 goal per game whilst Brugge shipped their 11 in just 3 games so both teams whilst clearly capable at the back at times are guilty of shooting themselves in the foot in style. 

You'd be hard pressed to argue that their game against Barcelona at home in their last Champions League fixture wasn't the match of the round as they tied 3-3. Barca who derived so much success in their previous campaign from their high line and ability to catch their opponents offside came undone by the Portuguese Carlos Forbs who scored a brace and his recent performances were rewarded with a debut in the 9-1 win at home to Armenia in the World Cup qualifiers. I'm sure many older lions watching on would have been reminded of the sight of Sebastián Coates being caught out numerous times in his early Sporting career trying to track back carrying his invisible caravan. At least we now have Maxi Araújo who can time his sending's off to perfection on the edge of an area if it all goes Pete Tong in this game. 

Their Champions League campaign started in the qualifying rounds as they took on RB Salzburg. They definitely hadn't remembered their shooting boots missing 3 of their 4 big chances although the one they took was enough to come away from Austria with a 1-0 lead to take into the second leg. Vermant with the goal 16 minutes before the end of time. They found themselves 2-0 down and therefore 2-1 on aggregate after 42 minutes of the return leg. Seys brought the tie level at 2-2 on the hour, Forbs made it 3-2 with 8 minutes to go and Vanaken put the tie to bed 3 minutes into additional time and the Belgians went through 4-2 on aggregate. Five of their six Opta defined big chances missed although the XG of 2.76 to 0.94 would suggest despite their early scare that the right team won on the night. 

Glasgow Rangers up next under their new mister Russell Martin's whose tenure was already coming off the rails and won't have been helped by the two legs against the Belgians who scored their only big chance of the first game in Glasgow in a 3-1 win. Goals from Vermant after just 2 minutes, Spileers after 6 and Mechele after 19 rocked the Ibrox crowd. Danilo scored a consolation goal in the second half but they must have gone to Belgium fearing the worst and that's exactly what happened. I think the technical term is filling your boots as the Belgians smashed Rangers 6-0. NINE Opta defined big chances which they missed four of so it could have been even worse on the night. XG 4.27 to 0.12. Total attempts 32 to just 3. Utter annihilation and humiliation for the away side and it would come as no surprise to see Martin's fired from his position not long after. They were already one goal behind when Max Aaron's was sent off in the 7th minute. Vanaken, Seys (2), Stankovic and Tzolis with the other goals as they went through 9-1 on aggregate and qualified for the League format. 

They got off to a flier with a 4-1 demolition of AS Monaco at home. Tresoldi, Onyedika and Vanaken gave them a 3 goal lead at half time. Diakhon added a fourth in the second half before Barca's forgotten man Ansu Fati, now on loan with the Ligue 1 side scored the consolation on 90 minutes. The Belgians with double the attempts 26 to 13, scored 2 of their 5 big chances. Monaco missed their sole big chance created. 

Atalanta away next and the Serie A side gained revenge for their aforementioned defeat in last season's competition winning 2-1. Brugge once more guilty of not putting their big chances away missing 2 of 2, whereas the Italians scored 2 of their 4. Tzolis had given them the lead before half time before Atalanta completely turned the game on its head in the second half. I wonder if being the away team in your change kit of white and blue trim it gets confusing when the home side are sporting the blue and black you'd normally be wearing? Mind you no more confusing than having Nike as your shirt manufacturers producing ten kits a season. Was it Geny who gave a throw in to an opposition player which led to them scoring? Whoever it was I gave them the benefit of the doubt as it felt like something stupid I might have done. 

Next came one of our shared opponents in the form of Bayern München at the Allianz Arena. The Bundesliga league leaders came into the game having won every single game in all competitions and left with that record intact running out 4-0 winners on the night. They have just lost their perfect record going into the international break drawing 2-2 to Union Berlin. FC Hollywood 3 goals to the good after just 33 minutes added a fourth 12 minutes before the end of time. The Belgians unsurprisingly given the score line failed to register a single big chance. Bayern missed 5 of their 7 and a massive warning to Sporting of their attacking capability. The XG 4.2 to just 0.25.

Which brings us full Cercle to Barca as they say in some parts of Brugge, just not the blue and black part. The Belgians scored 3 of their 5 big chances on the night with the Spanish scoring 2 of their 4. XG 2.14 to 2.4 but most interestingly the Belgians with 10 attempts to 23. Those numbers for Barca will make familiar reading to Sportinguista's I'm sure this campaign who've been equally as wasteful in the final third of far too many games to date. Tresoldi put the Belgians ahead after five minutes for reference, having previously mentioned the brace from Forbs. Lamine Yamal with an incredible individual second half goal that would have been worth the entrance fee alone. 

So played 4, won 1, drawn 1 losing both away fixtures, GF 8 GA 10. You imagine this fixture is one both sides have down as a must win if they're to progress to the playoffs. Sporting follow this fixture with games to Bayern München and PSG. No pressure gentlemen going into this game needing three points then. 

At the time of writing they're 14 games into their league campaign sitting second to Union St.Gilloise 4 points off the pace. 9 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats, GF 21, GA 13. Their troubles have come on the road winning just half of their 8 games, 1 draw and their 3 defeats all coming away. Just 7 goals scored albeit despite those 3 losses they've still only conceded 6 goals in total. 

Of the 21 scored 16 coming from open play, 4 from set pieces and 1 own goal. They've yet to score from either a penalty or direct free kick. Fifty goals in all competitions. Having played out possibly the best Champions League game of the season I suspect they've also played the best game the Belgian League will see all season as they drew at home to Westerlo. Possibly one of the greatest adverts for why you leave the pub on time and be seated before kick off and wait until the half time whistle before emptying your bladder and stay until the very end. The opponents 1-0 up after a minute and 2-0 up a minute into additional time. Brugge pulled one back three minutes into additional time to go in at half time with the scoreline 1-2. Within 10 minutes of the restart they've made it 3-2. On the hour mark 3-3, by 70 minutes 3-4. Five from time 4-4. There must have been limbs in the stands with an own goal one minute into additional time and it's now 5-4 and the comeback complete… except it wasn't as Westerlo book marked their goals scoring exploits with one final goal 7 minutes into additional time and the game finished an incredible 5-5. Shades of Vitória 4 Sporting CP 4 from last season. My heart won't take another one or those this season. 

Christos Tzolis top scorer with 5 and Tresoldi with 4. Nine league scorers in total with 4 players on 2 goals, 3 on 1 and the other the Westerlo OG. Tzolis with the most assists on 3 joint with Carlos Forbs so it seems natural to suggest those three players mentioned here will potentially prove the biggest threat to the lions if involved on the night. 

They were formed in the November of 1891 as Brugsche FC by students of two local schools. By 1897 they had transitioned to being known as Football Club Brugeois. In 1920 that was amended again to Royal Football Club Brugeois and only as late as 1972 do we find their current iteration of name, Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging. At times they've been known by both French names and Dutch. I'm assuming this is like French Fries having nothing to do with France. In Belgium teams who've reached their 50th year anniversary are awarded the honour of being called Royal and the   Blauw-Zwart (Blue-Black) have merged with three other Royal clubs which is a Belgian record. Confused? Wait until you see the Belgium play off system to decide who wins the title. 

They are the only Belgian side to have reached the finals of the European Cup where they lost to Liverpool in 1978. They also lost to the reds in 1976 in the UEFA Cup Final. Daniel Amakochi became the first ever player to score in the Champions League in November of 1992 in a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow. Keep that one in the back of the mind if ever asked which side scored the first ever Champions League goal at a pub quiz. 

Their club mascot is a bear which is related to the legend that the Count of Flounders fought and defeated a bear in his youth. I'm going to call bullshit on that one. So brace yourself for the arrival of Belle, Bene and Bibi for photos with Jubas. We'll see if the clubs social media team put the clip over another musical bed which contains the lyrics shit and fuck as they did on YouTube with the Juventus Zebra. Imagine showing that one to your kids thinking they'll like it and learning some new words in English. At a conference last week Sporting announced their intention to become amongst other things a lifestyle brand. Maybe fire your social media team first having also used a bed with the n word in one of the videos promoting the stadium build. Unfuckingbelivable really in this day and age. Anyways I digress. No way did Ned Flanders defeat the bear. Who'd win in a fight between three bears and a lion? Depends if they've fucked with his porridge I guess. What? I'm allowed to swear, you're not giving your five year old your phone and saying read this are you? Well I hope not anyways. 

Having flicked through some bits this afternoon in preparation for writing this I was going to mention how Belgium-centric their squad is and it turns out not quite as much as I thought with 12 nationals and 16 foreign players. Flag designers stole a fucking living back in the day didn't they? Sorry typing aloud rather than thinking aloud as I'm looking at the Belgian and German flags. If the Côte d’Ivoire make a World Cup and Ireland don't I'll be OK let's put it that way. 

Their mister Nicky Hayen lists the Welsh side of Haverfordwest County amongst his previous clubs he's taken the helm at. That's quite a jump up to Champions League football. Someone missed out on one heck of a Welsh football documentary series there. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. 

Their majority shareholder is the Belgian entrepreneur Bart Verhaeghe. He made his fortune selling Belgian names to the Simpsons creators. He's a member of the European Club Association and sits on the UEFA Club Competitions Committee so I imagine we can blame him in part for now having to sit through the two extra games as our injury list grows once more. Thanks Bart. Between 2014 and 2024 under his stewardship the club have achieved the best results of any Belgian club side in the top flight and over an 8 year period between 2011 and 2020 he grew the clubs annual turnover from €43m to €137m. In the 2022/23 season that improved even further to €176m. A new stadium set to be built on the site of the present one should help increase future revenues for the club. Recent investment has come from US equity investment fund Orkila Capital who will hold 23.36% of the club's shares. The controlling interest of 71.89% split between Bart and Grizzly Sports NV. Some shit you really couldn't make up. I'll stick to the bear necessities from now until the end of this preview, the simple bear necessities. 

Next up for the Belgians before the Champions League tie is a league game at home to Sporting Charleroi on Saturday evening at 1945. The lions face AC Marinhense in the Taça de Portugal earlier in the evening at 1800 and are expected to give as many first teamers the night off as possible however Sporting B face Chaves at 11am the following morning so it probably won't be the case as against Alverca in the Taça da Liga that we see a bench made up of only kids. 

In the markets 

Sporting CP 7/10

Draw 11/4

Club Brugge 15/4