Brugge and Dinamo seek much-needed win
Friday, October 22, 2010
Article summary
Club Brugge KV and NK Dinamo Zagreb both need to pick up points in Belgium after their 0-0 UEFA Europa League Group D draw in Croatia last time out.
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Article body
A 0-0 draw in Croatia on Matchday 3 did neither Club Brugge KV or NK Dinamo Zagreb many favours, with the UEFA Europa League Group D bottom two eager to pick up three points as they meet again in Belgium.
Previous meetings
• The sides met for the first time on Matchday 3 in what was Club Brugge's maiden experience of Croatian opposition.
• Dinamo's record in four games against Belgian teams reads W2 D1 L1 (W1 D0 L0 in Belgium). They played RSC Anderlecht in last season's UEFA Europa League group stage, losing 2-0 at home but winning 1-0 away.
Match background
• Club Brugge are unbeaten in their last five European home games (four wins and a draw) since losing 4-1 to FC Shakhtar Donetsk in last season's group stage, on 17 September 2009.
• Dinamo have won once in four away games since their last trip to Belgium, when they beat Anderlecht 1-0 in the aforementioned group stage fixture.
Team facts
• Club Brugge have played more UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League games than any other club involved in this season's group stage; this will be their 128th.
• As a winger for Roda JC and PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge coach Adrie Koster was capped three times by the Netherlands. He started his coaching career in the lower leagues in his home country, before taking charge of AFC Ajax's reserve team. The Amsterdam side's caretaker coach in the 2007/08 season, he moved to Bruges in the summer of 2009.
• Dinamo are coached by Bosnian-born Vahid Halilhodžić, once a striker for Yugoslavia. Having shone at FK Velež, he spent the latter part of his playing career in France with FC Nantes Atlantique – winning the 1982/83 Ligue 1 title – and Paris Saint-Germain FC. He would lead the latter to French Cup success in 2004. The much-travelled coach took the helm in Zagreb in August.
• Club Brugge boast Croatian talent in the form of striker Ivan Perišić, once a trainee with Dinamo's arch-rivals HNK Hajduk Split.
• Former Croatia goalkeeper Tomislav Butina represented both clubs, playing for Dinamo twice (1992-2003 and 2008-10) and for Club Brugge from 2003 to 2006. He won six Croatian titles and one in Belgium.
