With the Playoffs starting on Friday, I’ve chosen 15 players to follow; for each one, there’s a question to be answered. That could be re. fitness, a potential move or their motivation. Here are the15 … Matias Suarez – will the Anderlecht playmaker be fully fit and turn it on for the league leaders? Milan… Read More »
Tonight’s cup final at the Roi Baudouin stadium sees Lokeren face Kortrijk. It’s the first time that none of the ‘Big Five’ have reached the final since 2006, when Zulte Waregem defeated Mouscron. This year, the big clubs fell regularly with the biggest shock being Anderlecht’s home defeat to Rupel Boom. At the quarter final… Read More »
Regular readers will know that Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Gent and Standard Liege have qualified for the PO1s. Tonight’s matches will decide who will join them from – any two from Genk, Cercle Brugge, Lokeren and Kortrijk. I still make Cercle Brugge and Genk the slight favourites to enter the PO1s. Bob Peeters’ Cercle Brugge just… Read More »
Tonight, second division leaders Charleroi play second-place Eupen, with 11,000 fans expected at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi. While Charleroi have won their last three games, Eupen have not won any of their matches in that period. So although Eupen have been leading the league for months, they now find themselves in the role… Read More »
Belgians are the flavour of the month; not a day goes by without clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City or Real Madrid being linked to a likely Belgian lad. Eden Hazard is a top favourite, but Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel are not far behind when it comes to rumours. So, a bit early… Read More »
Ask people in Belgium how the Jupiler League Playoffs work and you’ll get a lot of head-shaking. It’s certainly a complex syatem and, yes, it was dreamed up by consultants. For new readers and for those who have not been paying attention, here’s the beef: The 16 league clubs play each other twice in a… Read More »
As we approach the Playoffs, here’s my idea about the ‘Top Ten Talents’ coming through in the Jupiler League. My criteria are that they must be aged 20 or less and have played in the Jupiler League, at least for a few minutes. That rules out any of Anderlecht’s Musonda brothers (no games yet) and… Read More »
Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Gent all won their matches this weekend; in so doing, they widened the gap at the top and will take that advantage – or part of it – into the Playoffs 1. Anderlecht took their time to get going but eventually ran out easy winners 4-0 against Bob Peeters’ Cercle Brugge.… Read More »
There are only three games for each club before the Jupiler League splits into three sections for the ‘Playoffs’. As mentioned previously, the ‘Playoffs 1’ series (a round robin tournament for the top six) will decide the champions. Currently Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Gent have booked their places in the top six; Cercle Brugge and… Read More »
Belgium U21s visit Middlesbrough’s Riverside stadium tonight to play England in a 2013 European Championships qualifying match. Over 20,000 tickets have been sold and the place should be rocking. I was in Mons in November for the first game, when Belgium staged a ‘smash and grab’ victory, and I remember thinking – apart from how… Read More »