Mechelen contests Cercle Brugge face-off

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Competition: Belgium Pro League
Competition: Sat 26.February
Match begins: 17:30 (UTC)
Venue: AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne (13213 seats)

The hosting team, Mechelen, should be odds-on favourites in this fixture, but Cercle Brugge have revealed both flair and intrepidity. Learn more about the game!

Insights:
  • Mechelen have the most points from losing position (16) in Pro League
  • Cercle Brugge have the most dropped points from leading position (22) in Pro League

Mechelen and Cercle Brugge should both be in good shape for this meeting, as there's been enough days for both of them to train and rest since their last matches.

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Mechelen form and stats

The home supporters can't complain about results here at AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne as Mechelen have scored 29 goals to get 29 points from 14 games. The overall stats in the Pro League are 9-2-3 (wins-draws-losses). Mechelen has recorded two wins in a row here at AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne, increasing their hopes of victory in this match.

Happy days for Mechelen in their previous game, a fixture away at Antwerp (placed 3rd) that ended with a 2-1 victory. Cuypers, who usually features in attack, was the best performer for the team in that fixture, collecting a rating of 8.23 (out of 10). Cuypers scored one goal, hit two key passes and dribled past the opponent 1 of 2 times.

Heartbreak before that as Mechelen lost 1-4 at Genk's place.

The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Mechelen have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found four matches with the results: Won three, drawn zero and lost one.

Goals decide football matches and Mechelen are scoring many of them at home; 29 on target from 14 league matches. Mechelen's goalkeeper has had to pick the ball out of their own net 18 times. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above.

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Cercle Brugge form and stats

Playing away, Cercle Brugge have won 6 games, drawn 3 and suffered 5 defeats in the Pro League this season.

Impressive finishing from Denkey and Matondo secured the home win 2-0 against Beerschot-Wilrijk in their previous game. Hotić got a match rating of 8.42 in that game, top player of the team. Hotić served one assist and hit six key passes.

A 2-3 defeat away at OH Leuven before that.

As mentioned above, this is an open game with no clear favourite. We have found eleven similar matches played by Cercle Brugge in our archives, and the results are: three wins for Cercle, two draws and six defeats.

Cercle Brugge are not goal shy away from home in the league, finding the net 23 times in 14 away games so far. Cercle Brugge have conceded 18 goals in these away matches.

Head 2 Head

These teams met each other before this campaign: Cercle Brugge - Mechelen 3-1. Mechelen-Cercle Brugge H2H statistics last ten meetings regardless of arena: Mechelen six wins, Cercle Brugge three wins, one draw. seven of these ten matches had three or more goals (over 2,5).

Top Goalscorers

MechelenN. Storm
N. Storm
15 goals
MechelenK. Mrabti
K. Mrabti
10 goals
MechelenH. Cuypers
H. Cuypers
9 goals

Mechelen missing players

Cercle Brugge missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Mechelen Cercle Brugge
Total Home vs mid Statistics Stat vs top Away Total
27 14 3 Played P 4 14 28
14 9 1 Won W 1 6 11
3 2 1 Drew D 1 3 5
10 3 1 Lost L 2 5 12
48 29 3 Scored S 6 23 40
46 18 2 Conceded C 6 18 34
100% 100% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 100% 100%
85% 86% 67% Over 1.5 O 1.5 100% 93% 86%
63% 64% 0% Over 2.5 O 2.5 50% 50% 46%
48% 50% 0% Over 3.5 O 3.5 25% 21% 18%
26% 21% 0% Over 4.5 O 4.5 25% 21% 11%
63% 64% 33% BTTS BTTS 75% 71% 61%
19% 21% 33% Clean Sheets C S 25% 29% 25%
19% 14% 33% Failed to Score F T 0% 0% 14%
 
5.3 6.2 2.7 Corners for (avg) C F 2.2 4.4 4.9
6.8 5.9 6.7 Corners against (avg) C A 6.5 5.4 4.6
2 1.8 2.3 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 3.5 2.9 2.5
3 2 1 Red cards R C 0 2 2
 
10.6 11.8 9.3 Shots (avg) S ( 10.5 12.7 13.7
4.3 4.4 2.7 Shots on Target (avg) S O 4.5 5.1 5
41% 47% 38% Goal Efficiency G E 33% 32% 28%
 
14.9 13.6 12.7 Shots against (avg) S A 11.2 9.9 9.9
5 4.1 3.7 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 3.5 3.5 3.5
Key stats in Pro League this season:
  • Cercle Brugge have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.
  • Cercle Brugge have scored in all their away matches so far.
  • Cercle Brugge have the most dropped points from leading position (22) in Pro League
  • Cercle Brugge haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
  • Mechelen have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Mechelen have the most points (29) at home in Pro League
  • Mechelen have the most points from losing position (16) in Pro League
  • Mechelen haven’t played a single 0-0 game.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Union Saint-Gilloise 28 20 3 5 62 22 14 9 1 4 26 13 14 11 2 1 36 9 40 63
2 Club Brugge 28 15 9 4 52 33 14 7 6 1 27 14 14 8 3 3 25 19 19 54
3 Antwerp 28 16 5 7 48 30 14 7 3 4 26 17 14 9 2 3 22 13 18 53
4 Anderlecht 28 14 9 5 60 32 14 7 5 2 32 18 14 7 4 3 28 14 28 51
5 Mechelen 27 14 3 10 48 46 14 9 2 3 29 18 13 5 1 7 19 28 2 45
6 Gent 27 12 7 8 39 27 13 7 3 3 25 15 14 5 4 5 14 12 12 43
7 Sporting Charleroi 28 12 7 9 42 38 14 5 4 5 16 16 14 7 3 4 26 22 4 43
8 Genk 28 12 5 11 54 41 14 8 3 3 32 17 14 4 2 8 22 24 13 41
9 Cercle Brugge 28 11 5 12 40 34 14 5 2 7 17 16 14 6 3 5 23 18 6 38
10 Sint-Truiden 28 11 4 13 32 37 14 5 2 7 19 20 14 6 2 6 13 17 -5 37
11 Kortrijk 28 9 10 9 37 34 14 5 4 5 19 17 14 4 6 4 18 17 3 37
12 OH Leuven 27 9 9 9 39 44 13 6 3 4 19 20 14 3 6 5 20 24 -5 36
13 KV Oostende 28 9 4 15 28 52 14 5 1 8 16 32 14 4 3 7 12 20 -24 31
14 Standard Liege 27 7 8 12 29 43 13 2 5 6 13 21 14 5 3 6 16 22 -14 29
15 AS Eupen 28 7 6 15 33 49 14 3 3 8 14 25 14 4 3 7 19 24 -16 27
16 Zulte-Waregem 28 6 8 14 37 61 14 3 4 7 19 30 14 3 4 7 18 31 -24 26
17 RFC Seraing 27 7 2 18 26 53 14 5 2 7 15 22 13 2 0 11 11 31 -27 23
18 Beerschot-Wilrijk 27 4 4 19 27 57 14 4 1 9 13 25 13 0 3 10 14 32 -30 16

Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Union Saint-Gilloise 28 20 3 5 62 22 14 9 1 4 26 13 14 11 2 1 36 9 40 63
2 Club Brugge 28 15 9 4 52 33 14 7 6 1 27 14 14 8 3 3 25 19 19 54
3 Antwerp 28 16 5 7 48 30 14 7 3 4 26 17 14 9 2 3 22 13 18 53
4 Anderlecht 28 14 9 5 60 32 14 7 5 2 32 18 14 7 4 3 28 14 28 51
5 Mechelen 27 14 3 10 48 46 14 9 2 3 29 18 13 5 1 7 19 28 2 45
6 Gent 27 12 7 8 39 27 13 7 3 3 25 15 14 5 4 5 14 12 12 43
7 Sporting Charleroi 28 12 7 9 42 38 14 5 4 5 16 16 14 7 3 4 26 22 4 43
8 Genk 28 12 5 11 54 41 14 8 3 3 32 17 14 4 2 8 22 24 13 41
9 Cercle Brugge 28 11 5 12 40 34 14 5 2 7 17 16 14 6 3 5 23 18 6 38
10 Sint-Truiden 28 11 4 13 32 37 14 5 2 7 19 20 14 6 2 6 13 17 -5 37
11 Kortrijk 28 9 10 9 37 34 14 5 4 5 19 17 14 4 6 4 18 17 3 37
12 OH Leuven 27 9 9 9 39 44 13 6 3 4 19 20 14 3 6 5 20 24 -5 36
13 KV Oostende 28 9 4 15 28 52 14 5 1 8 16 32 14 4 3 7 12 20 -24 31
14 Standard Liege 27 7 8 12 29 43 13 2 5 6 13 21 14 5 3 6 16 22 -14 29
15 AS Eupen 28 7 6 15 33 49 14 3 3 8 14 25 14 4 3 7 19 24 -16 27
16 Zulte-Waregem 28 6 8 14 37 61 14 3 4 7 19 30 14 3 4 7 18 31 -24 26
17 RFC Seraing 27 7 2 18 26 53 14 5 2 7 15 22 13 2 0 11 11 31 -27 23
18 Beerschot-Wilrijk 27 4 4 19 27 57 14 4 1 9 13 25 13 0 3 10 14 32 -30 16

More from Belgium - Pro League

Read more about Pro League

The First Division A is the top league of the football pyramid in Belgium, founded in 1895. It was earlier known as the Belgian Pro League. The season runs from July to May with 16 teams each playing 30 fixtures. The top six in the league table then play a championship playoff, the bottom team is relegated and places #7 to #15 have a Europa League playoff.