Preview:Mechelen vs Club Brugge - prediction, team news, lineups

19-time Belgian Pro League champions Club Brugge will continue their quest to recover the title when they travel to take on Mechelen at Achter De Kazerne on Friday.

De Kakkers are looking for their first win of the season, while Blauw-Zwart are aiming to maintain their 100% start.

Match preview

Frederik Vanderbiest's Mechelen finished eighth in the 2024-25 edition of the Belgian top flight, but they have their sights set on Europe and a spot in the top six this term.

On Saturday, De Kakkers were held to a 1-1 draw by promoted club Zulte Waregem, and the manager will be concerned that his team were second-best to the Challenger Pro League champions, eventually succumbing to their pressure by giving away a 99th-minute penalty for De Boeren to score an equaliser.

That stalemate has Vanderbiest's side seventh in the table, where they fall short of sixth-placed OH Leuven in terms of goals-scored after the first gameweek.

Ahead of this clash, the hosts won all three of their pre-season friendlies on their own turf, but while they have lost just once in competitive matches at Achter De Kazerne since January, they have only taken maximum points from two of their 11 home league fixtures in that period.

A first triumph of the campaign would be enough to take Mechelen up to top spot in a best-case scenario, but defeat could see them drop down towards the relegation zone at this early stage of the season.

Meanwhile, Nicky Hayen's Brugge missed out on the title to Union Saint-Gilloise last term, and they will be dreaming of lifting number 20 in 2025-26.

This past Sunday, Blauw-Zwart made a strong start towards doing so with a 2-1 victory over European regulars Genk, and the boss will be pleased with the character that his side showed to come from behind through Joel Ordonez and Brandon Mechele in the second half.

Three points at the weekend left Hayen's men fourth in the Pro League, two points ahead of their opponents but two goal-difference shy of top-of-the-table Anderlecht.

Knowing that another win could put them at the summit, the visitors will take confidence from their excellent travelling record that features five wins and two draws from their last seven games on the road, including triumphs over the Purple and White, Gent and Genk at the tail end of last season's league campaign.

Should Brugge earn back-to-back wins on Friday, then they could leapfrog Standard Liege, Saint-Truiden and the leaders depending on results elsewhere.

Mechelen Belgian Pro League form:

Club Brugge Belgian Pro League form:

Club Brugge form (all competitions):

Team News

Mechelen could start new signing Gora Diouf at centre-back after his move from FC Sion, and if the manager decides that he is ready, he could feature alongside Redouane Halhal and Rafik Belghali in a three-man setup.

At the opposite end of the pitch, 21-year-old striker Keano Vanrafelghem is likely to be unavailable on Friday as he deals with a knock, so expect to see Lion Lauberbach and Nikola Storm start up top once again.

As for Brugge, midfielder Raphael Onyedika was taken off with an injury late on against Genk at the weekend, and Lynnt Audoor should replace him in the XI for this clash.

Blauw-Zwart are also missing centre-back Joel Ordonez after he was sent off in the club's opening league game, so Brandon Mechele could be joined by the versatile Zaid Romero at the heart of the defence.

Mechelen possible starting lineup:

Wolf; Belghali, Halhal, Diouf; Pflucke, Hammar, Schoofs, Zekri; Mrabti; Lauberbach, Storm

Club Brugge possible starting lineup:

Mignolet; Spileers, Romero, Mechele, Seys; Reis, Audoor, Vanaken; Vetlesen, Vermant, Tzolis

We say: Mechelen 1-2 Club Brugge

Mechelen may be resilient on their own turf, but they have struggled for home wins throughout 2025.

In contrast, Brugge have been excellent on their travels, and their consistent record of picking up victories on the road suggests that they could take all three points on Friday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.