Published
2025-10-05
Union suffer first league defeat against Club Brugge
Union suffered their first Jupiler Pro League defeat since March, following a 1-0 loss to Club Brugge. In a hard-fought match with few chances, Forbs eventually found the net. In the closing stages, Union pushed forward again, but the score remained 1-0.
Club Brugge came out flying and immediately put Union under pressure. As early as the 2nd minute, the first threat came from the home side: from a free kick, Scherpen punched the ball away confidently. Another free kick followed in the 5th minute after a foul by Mac Allister, but without real danger.
After ten minutes, Union began to settle into the game. Their first opportunity came from a counter-attack: Ait El Hadj broke down the left and squared for Van de Perre, but his attempt lacked power.
In the 17th minute, Khalaili delivered a dangerous cross from the right. Rodriguez was ready to tap in the opener, but Mechele intervened just in time.
Towards the end of the first half, Union had a scare when Leysen brought down Forbs in the box. The referee initially pointed to the spot, but VAR correctly ruled offside in the build-up.
The second half started just like the first, with a flurry of chances for Club Brugge. Straight after the restart, Vermant went close with a shot that landed on the roof of the net. From a free kick, Stankovic looked certain to score, but Scherpen pulled off another outstanding save. Moments later, the Union keeper was tested again by a low drive from Vermant.
In the 76th minute, the breakthrough finally came. On the counter, Forbs found space and struck from distance. Scherpen misread the shot and the ball slipped through his hands: 1-0.
In stoppage time, Union threw everything forward. From a long throw by Mac Allister, Schoofs had a chance, but his effort flew just half a metre wide.
Despite an evenly matched contest, the top-of-the-table clash ended 1-0 in favour of Club Brugge. Union, however, remain league leaders.