Belgian giants Club Brugge kick off their new league campaign against Genk on Sunday looking to start their quest for a fourth consecutive league title with three points.
Bookmaker 10bet expects Brugge to dominate the contest and has the odds at 1.90 for the hosts to beat the minus-two Asian handicap on corners.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 22nd, 5:30 P.M. (EST)
Brugge opened their season a week ago against Gent in the Belgian Super Cup and added another trophy to their tally with a 1-0 victory. The team has seen a lot of success in recent years and it won’t be easy to stop Brugge in 2022-23 either.
The Blauw-Zwart are set to lose Charles De Ketelaere to a bigger club in the next few weeks, but the team will still have Hans Vanaken leading the charge and they should do just fine as long as he’s around.
Vanaken recorded his fifth consecutive year with 10-plus goals in the league last season and he’s become a true local legend with 101 goals and 73 assists bagged for Brugge during his seven-year stay at the club.
The talented midfielder scored in both league games against Genk last season and stopping him should be the main goal for the visitors on Sunday.
Genk were champions as recently as 2018-19, but last season didn’t work out well at all for them and the Blauw-Wit ended up finishing sixth.
The club has always been known for its great youth work with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois coming through the ranks at Genk, but the team currently relies more on veteran players. 28-year-old Paul Onuachu was the main man last season with 21 goals. He needs to remain sharp in front of goal if Genk are going to bounce back in 2022-23.
The Nigerian is partnered in attack by 26-year-old Theo Bongonda and 29-year-old Junya Ito, who was one of the most creative players in the league last season with 16 assists.
Genk are a top-class side offensively, but new manager Wouter Vrancken clearly needs to work on the balance of the side after the team allowed over 50 league goals last term.
Brugge have won seven of the last 10 league meetings between the two sides. Knowning this, seasonal expectations will be elevated for Genk if Vrancken manages to get something out of the big match at Jan Breydel Stadium on Sunday.
