The final match of the season takes place today. Newly crowned league champion Club Brugge hosts KAA Gent at home. Read everything about the match here!
The match
Today, Club Brugge and KAA Gent wrap up the Champions’ Play-Offs at Jan Breydel Stadium. It will be the 164th duel between both teams in the First Division.
This is Club’s 58th match of the season. Only in three previous seasons did Club play more matches: 2014–15 and 2023–24 (63 matches) and 2024–25 (59 matches). Club has only scored more goals across all competitions in 2023–24 (138 goals) and 2014–15 (136 goals) than this season (128 goals). Club Brugge has already scored 27 goals in these Champions’ Play-Offs, which—with one match still to play—is already a new record, surpassing the previous record of 25 goals set by Club itself in 2016.
In the previous 81 home matches against La Gantoise, Club recorded 47 wins (most recently 2–1 on 21/12/2025), 14 draws (most recently 1–1 on 03/02/2019), and 20 defeats (most recently 2–4 on 22/09/2024). This is the 20th duel between the two teams in Play-Off 1. Club has won each of the last five PO1 matches against KAA Gent.
Earlier in these Champions’ Play-Offs, Club won 0–2 away at Planet Group Arena, thanks to goals from Vetlesen and Tzolis.
Last Thursday, Club Brugge secured its 20th league title on the pitch of KV Mechelen. After Ernst Happel (3 titles), Hugo Broos, Trond Sollied, and Philippe Clement (2 each), Ivan Leko became the fifth coach to win more than one title with the Blues. Club has now won at least one trophy (league title, Cup, and/or Super Cup) in 12 consecutive seasons.
Club will qualify directly for next season’s UEFA Champions League league phase. It will be Club Brugge’s 13th UCL campaign, including 9 in the last 11 seasons. After last season, Club climbed to the 23rd place in the UEFA coefficient ranking—the highest place a Belgian club has ever reached.
Christos Tzolis and Nicolò Tresoldi remain the top scorers in the Jupiler Pro League with 16 goals each. After Thursday, they extended their lead over their closest challengers (Thorgan Hazard & Jeppe Erenbjerg) to 3 goals. It could become the first time that two players from the same club finish as joint top scorers.
In addition, Tzolis also leads the assists ranking with an impressive 22 assists. He needs 2 more assists to equal Mike Trésor’s record (24 in 2023). It could become the first time that a player finishes both top scorer and assist leader in the Jupiler Pro League.
Historically, it only happened three times that a team won all of its home matches in PO1: Standard (2011), Anderlecht (2016), and Club Brugge (2019). If Club wins on Sunday, it will join that list.
The opponent
After the previous midweek round, fifth place—which comes with a playoff match against the winner of the Europe Play-Offs—is the highest ranking that is still possible for KAA Gent. They must hope that KV Mechelen (away at STVV) does not achieve a better result.
Gent’s top scorer is Wilfried Kanga with 12 goals. Former Club player Michał Skóraś, KAA Gent’s assist leader (7 assists), received his third yellow card in the Champions’ Play-Offs in the previous round and is therefore suspended for the final match.
If Gent fails to win, it will become only the third club—after KAA Gent (0W 4D 6L in 2011) and RSC Anderlecht (0W 4D 6L in 2021)—to complete a PO1 campaign without a single victory.
On the previous matchday, KAA Gent held R. Union SG to a 0–0 draw at home for the third time this season.
Milestones
- Romeo Vermant and Jorne Spileers could make their 100th official appearance for Club Brugge on Sunday.
- For Hugo Siquet, it could be his 70th match for Club.
- Brandon Mechele could play his 400th league match for Club on Sunday.
- If Kyriani Sabbe features, it will be his 75th league appearance for the Blues.
- For Nicolò Tresoldi, it could become his 40th league appearance. The German attacker is the only player who has not missed a single match for Club this season.
The Man in Black
Mr. Erik Lambrechts has been appointed referee for the final match of the season. He will be assisted by linesmen Mr. Mathias Hillaert and Mr. Quentin Blaise. The fourth official will be Mr. Wim Smet.
Mr. Nicolas Laforge will handle VAR duties, assisted by Mr. Vito Di Vincenzo and Mr. Carlos-Manuel Serra Guerreiro Alho.
Mr. Lambrechts will referee his 50th official Club match. In Club’s 27 previous home matches under his supervision, the record stands at 18 wins, 5 draws, and 4 defeats. The 41-year-old referee from Flemish Brabant is currently refereeing his 15th season in Belgium’s top division.