Manchester United v Club Brugge background

Manchester United can take great comfort from their home record against Belgian sides as they welcome Club Brugge in their UEFA Champions League play-off.

Previous meetings
• The teams are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition.

• Club Brugge's past encounters with English clubs include defeats in the 1976 UEFA Cup and 1978 European Champion Clubs' Cup finals – both against Liverpool.

Form guide
• United have won all three previous home games against Belgian opponents by an aggregate score of 18-1. All those matches were against Anderlecht.

• United's first home fixture in continental competition was a 10-0 victory over Anderlecht in the 1956/57 European Cup preliminary round; it remains their biggest winning margin in Europe.

• Jan Koller scored the only goal for a Belgian side at Old Trafford in Anderlecht's most recent visit, a 5-1 loss in September 2000.

• Club Brugge have yet to win in 11 games in England (D2 L9). They are also winless in six matches (home and away) against English teams since a 1-0 first-leg success over Chelsea in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' quarter-finals (they succumbed 2-0 in the return).

• Club Brugge have not played in the UEFA Champions League group stage since 2005/06.

• United did not qualify for the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League – their first absence since 1995/96.

• United have never lost a UEFA Champions League or European Cup qualifying tie; their sole defeat in 16 qualifying games in the competitions was a 1-0 reverse at Zalaegerszeg in the 2002/03 third qualifying round.

• This is Club Brugge's first UEFA Champions League play-off; they have won all five of their play-off ties in the UEFA Europa League.

Links and trivia
• United boast Belgian talent in the shape of midfielders Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini, who were both born in Brussels (the Etterbeek area in Fellaini's case). Fellaini played under Club Brugge coach Michel Preud'homme at Standard Liège from 2006–08, winning the Belgian title together in 2007/08.

• Fellaini and Club Brugge's Tom De Sutter were part of the Belgium squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

• United defender Jonny Evans has some knowledge of Belgian football having spent part of 2006 on loan at Royal Antwerp – a club with whom United have had a long-term relationship. United boss Louis van Gaal was also a Royal Antwerp player from 1973–77.

• Van Gaal took on Club Brugge as coach of Barcelona in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League group stage; his charges prevailed 3-2 at home and 1-0 in Belgium.

• Club Brugge boss Michel Preud'homme tackled United's neighbours Manchester City as a Standard Liège player in the 1978/79 UEFA Cup; his side lost 4-0 in Manchester but won the return instalment 2-0.

• Club Brugge midfielder Ruud Vormer made his first professional appearances under Van Gaal at AZ Alkmaar in 2007/08.

• Club Brugge goalkeeper Sinan Bolat headed an added-time equaliser for Standard Liège against an AZ Alkmaar team featuring current United keeper Sergio Romero on the last UEFA Champions League group stage matchday of 2009/10. It earned Standard a UEFA Europa League spot at AZ's expense.