Torino v Club Brugge background
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Article summary
With Torino FC having won their last four European home games and Club Brugge KV on a four-match winning streak away, something has to give in Group B.
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Torino FC and Club Brugge KV will both be targeting a place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 when they contest their Group B rematch in Italy.
Form guide
• Club Brugge held Torino to a 0-0 draw on matchday one to end a five-game losing streak against Italian clubs.
• Club Brugge have lost both of their previous encounters in Turin – against Juventus – 1-0.
• Torino are yet to lose in five matches against Belgian opponents (W3 D2).
• Torino have won all four of their European home games this season without conceding; Club Brugge have won all their 2014/15 UEFA away fixtures, allowing just one goal.
Trivia and links
• Club Brugge's Israel midfielder Lior Refaelov can make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance in Turin; he scored his first UEFA competition hat-trick in his side's 4-0 win at FC København on matchday four.
• Torino defender Emiliano Moretti is also in line to make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance in this game.
• Torino boast Belgian talent in the form of goalkeeper Jean-François Gillet (capped nine times), who has played in Italy since leaving his boyhood club R. Standard de Liège in 1999. Their on-loan Morocco midfielder Omar El Kaddouri was also born in Belgium, starting his career as a trainee at RSC Anderlecht.
• Club Brugge's Brazilian midfielder Fernando played in Italy with AC Siena and Calcio Catania between 2003 and 2005.
The coaches
• Giampiero Ventura led Torino back to Serie A after taking charge in 2011, and is now enjoying – at the age of 66 – his first season in Europe. Previously a player at UC Sampdoria, he once led US Lecce from Serie C to Serie A, and also oversaw promotion to the top tier with Cagliari Calcio, as well as winning a club record 50 Serie A points with AS Bari in 2009/10.
• A goalkeeper for R. Standard de Liège, KV Mechelen, SL Benfica and Belgium, for whom he won 58 caps, Michel Preud'homme has been in charge at Club Brugge since September 2013. As a coach, he has won league titles in Belgium (Standard, 2007/08) and Saudi Arabia (Al-Shabab FC, 2011/12) in addition to the Belgian Cup (KAA Gent, 2009/10) and the Dutch Cup (FC Twente, 2010/11).
• Preud'homme came up against Torino's neighbours Juventus as a Standard player; his side drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away in the 1982/83 European Champion Clubs' Cup.
