Champions League: Club Brugge Gunning for an Upset

Club Brugge vs Real Madrid

Club Brugge would be hoping to finally score a win against Real Madrid in their last group stage match at the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

PSG and Real Madrid have already secured their spots in the next round by placing in the top two in Group A. Meanwhile, Club Brugge will look to clinch their Europa League spot by finishing third.

The Belgian Pro League leaders are holding a one-point advantage over Galatasaray, which makes this match a crucial one for them.

They were able to draw level with Los Blancos in their reverse fixture few months ago, and it took the latter a strong second-half performance to mount a comeback. Which is why in this upcoming game, I wouldn’t be surprised if Club Brugge have a little bit of confidence coming in.

While this Champions League 2019 odds favour Real Madrid for this match, it would be foolish to count out Club Brugge that easily as they’ll put up a decent fight to say the least.

SBOBET provides some talking points ahead of this Champions League group stage fixture.

Talking Points

Zinedine Zidane is the man for Los Blancos

Zinedine Zidane is reminding us once again as to why he’s one of the best in the business.

The French manager has done a masterful job of turning things around amidst critics and skeptics, especially after a worrisome preseason.

Perhaps taking a page out of Jose Mourinho’s book, ZZ is relishing the control that he has with the club as shown in their past few games.

In their Champions League match against PSG, Zidane made the gutsy call to leave Rodrygo and Gareth Bale on the bench in order to start Eden Hazard and Isco in their attack. The said duo along with Benzema’s dangerous form has confused PSG’s vaunted midfield trio to which it eventually ended in a draw.

Karim Benzema is the player to watch in the Champions league match between Real Madrid and Club Brugge — Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain

Along with his tactics on the pitch, Zidane has shown the willingness to put trust into his younger players. Rodrygo and Fede Valverde have been key components in the squad while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are finding their form as well.

Eden Hazard has finally shown glimpses of his hazardous form after a lacklustre stretch. The former Chelsea forward has been phenomenal in attacking defences and he might be the player that will get them over the hump in the long-term. However, his health issues remain a concern for Los Blancos after suffering a broken ankle last week.

Their defence still remains suspect at times due to their occasional mental mistakes. But once Los Blancos get it together on that end, lookout.

Sergio Ramos continues to be their Swiss army knife capable of producing Champions League 2019 highlights and he is to be supported by the likes of Ferland Mendy, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal, and Thibaut Courtois.

The real x-factor for Los Blancos is on how they will deal with Gareth Bale. The Welsh striker has been embroiled with controversy with his questionable antics and perhaps selling him might be the best move for both parties.

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UEFA – Champions League

Club Brugge to miss some key players

Club Brugge have made some huge strides so far this season, and a spot at the Europa League is the perfect way to end the 2019 calendar year.

They are currently on top of the Belgian Pro League standings with 42 points, and they are looking to break away with the title given their superb form.

The trio of Hans Vanaken, David Okereke, and Krepin Diatta has been instrumental this term and they are expected to lead Club Brugge’s attack to assert their dominance in the domestic league.

In the Champions League, however, the odds are against them in this upcoming game against Los Blancos as they’ll be missing some key players.

Krepin Diatta and Clinton Mata are expected to sit this one out since they were given red cards in their last Champions League match against Galatasaray. This should give guys like Hans Vanaken, David Okereke, and Lois Openda ample opportunities to show what they’re made of.

History

So far, Club Brugge have been undefeated in all of their encounters with Real Madrid in European competition (W1, D2).

This is the seventh Champions League group stage that Club Brugge have failed to move on to the next round. No other club has ever competed in more group stages without progressing in the history of the competition than the Belgian Pro League leaders.

Betting Tip

	Club Brugge vs Real Madrid	Real Madrid Asian Handicap +0.00 @ 1.70
	December 12, 04:00 (GMT+8)

Our SBOBET odds have Los Blancos at 2.23, Club Brugge at 2.92 and a draw at 3.60 in the 1X2 market. That’s quite surprising considering the difference of quality between these two clubs.

However, with much higher stakes for Club Brugge compared to Real Madrid, we can expect the home team with a bigger sense of urgency. It also helps that they’ll play in front of their home crowd.

Perhaps a safe bet here is a 1-0 victory in favour of Real Madrid.