Champion Club Brugge opens the new season with an in-house match against Charleroi. A strange opener because the match is played without an audience. The heat wave will also have an influence because the match will already be kicked off in the afternoon.
Club Brugge:
Club Brugge is also the title favorite in the new season and would like to have some extra momentum in midfield. While scouting in the MLS, their eye fell on Brenden Aaronson. The 19-year-old Philadelphia Union attacking midfielder played in the MLS is Back tournament until the semifinals. In the American press, the interest of Club is mentioned. Also Frankfurt, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Celtic and other European clubs would be interested in the ‘American Havertz’ as he was described by Bild.
In the cup final last weekend, Club Brugge was put on the ground with both feet. The almost unbeatable team of Philippe Clement came out for the day and hardly managed to do anything offensively. Will the Bruges trainer get his strikers ready for the start of the competition? David Okereke did not perform convincingly on Saturday and his replacement Youssouph Badji, according to Clement, is not yet ready to get a supporting role in his team week after week. Are the other deep strikers up? Michael Krmencik handed over his business card on Tuesday. The Czech fell next to the 18-man match squad on Saturday and delivered a hat-trick in the practice pot against Titus Petange. Good for his confidence. Also involved in those three goals: Emmanuel Dennis. Just like Krmencik, not used in the cup final. Small injuries during the preparation and with a transfer in his head kept him out of the selection.
Club Brugge lost the cup final to Antwerp and there was some disappointment with the national champions. They may now enter the transfer market to do a thing or two, because that may be necessary. A total of five reinforcements? That would certainly spark sparks at Club Brugge, where no newcomer has yet been noted in the new season. Stability is sometimes an advantage, but stagnation is sometimes also deterioration.
Sporting Charleroi:
Napoli has taken the plunge for Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker is leaving Lille for Napoli and that transfer will also be beneficial for Charleroi. “But we did not suddenly become wealthy,” said strongman Mehdi Bayat. Mehdi Bayat had at the negotiating table with Lille OSC last year forced a resale percentage on a later transfer of Victor Osimhen. “Some sources report that our percentage of capital gains are capped. Depending on the source, this varies between 6 and 7 million. There is none of that, “Bayat said. The amount may be even higher.
Sporting Charleroi has to do without Kaveh Rezaei on the opening matchday. The Iranian striker is still owned by blue-black, which continues to pay part of its wages. On the one hand, the Zebras do not have to pay the full pot to Rezaei, but the consequence is that he cannot be drawn up against Club Brugge. According to the rules, a rental player cannot be lined up against a club that pays (part of) his wages. And so Charleroi trainer Karim Belhocine cannot rely on his spearhead. Last season, Rezaei was good for twelve goals and four assists in 22 league matches
Charleroi has drawn in their last exhibition match against the French second division team Ajaccio. It became 2-2. Belhacim played with his best team and despite the result, Charleroi seems ready for the new season.
PREDICTION: Club Brugge KV to win @ 1,55
