Club Brugge and AS Monaco get their respective Champions League campaigns off and underway tonight, as they face off at the Jan Breydel Stadion.

These two sides have faced each other four times before. Club Brugge won twice: a memorable 0-4 victory in Monaco and a 1-0 win at home. There was also a 1-1 draw in Belgium and a heavy 6-1 defeat in the principality’s Stade Louis II stadium.

The most recent meeting was in November 2018, when Club won convincingly 0-4 in Monaco, thanks to goals from Hans Vanaken (brace), Wesley and Ruud Vormer. That victory secured a ‘ticket’ for the knockout phase of the Europa League.

Club Brugge Team News

Left-back Joaquin Seys suffered a hamstring injury during the international break and also missed Saturday’s league match against La Louvière. While the decision to play him was left until today, Nicky Hayen has decided against his involvement. “Joaquin Seys has been coping well these past few days, and he’ll be in the squad. But starting him isn’t an option.”

Hayen also briefly touched on Joel Ordóñez, the Ecuadorian central defender for Club Brugge who extended his contract yesterday until 2029.

“Joel himself walked into my office to say he’s made a change of heart,” Hayen said. “That’s good news for everyone. Whether he’ll start, I don’t want to say yet.”

After playing a part in qualifying, Nicolò Tresoldi will be in for his first official Champions League appearance.

AS Monaco Team News

The Ligue 1 visitors will be without captain Denis Zakaria and defender Mohammed Salisu at the Jan Breydel Stadion, and have also previously seen midfielder Aleksandr Golovin and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky injured.

Paul Pogba, in turn, will have to wait a little longer for his debut, while Ansu Fati and Belgian U21 international Stanis Idumbo are in the squad for the first time. Former Club Brugge man Krépin Diatta didn’t make his team’s European list and is therefore absent tonight.

Just like Club Brugge, Monaco are relying on its own youth. Maghnes Akliouche (23) is one such youth product, and the attacking midfielder has been in good form this season, having already scored twice in four matches. Last season, he also made a name for himself with goals in the Champions League against Red Star and FC Barcelona.

HLN’s predicted XIs

Club Brugge Starting XI: Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordoñez, Mechele, Meijer; Onyedika, Stankovic, Vanaken; Forbs, Tresoldi, Tzolis

Substitutes: Jackers, Van den Heuvel, Seys, Siquet, Vetlesen, Spileers, Sandra, Audoor, Nilsson, Campbell, Diakhon, Furo

Injured: Reis, Vermant

AS Monaco Starting XI: Köhn; Teze, Dier, Kehrer, Ouattara; Bamba, Camara; Akliouche, Biereth, Minamino; Balogun

Substitutes: Lienard, Vanderson, Caio Henrique, Mawissa, Bamba, George, Brunner

Injured: Hradecky, Idumbo, Golovin, Zakaria, Salisu