?Real Madrid will welcome Club Brugge to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in the second round of Champions League group stage fixtures.
Los Blancos started this European campaign about as miserably as they ended their previous one. They were thumped 3-0 by Paris Saint-Germain, in a game which left many fans questioning the future of pretty much everyone at the club.
To avoid falling too far behind in Group A, they will need to pick up points against a Club Brugge side who laboured to a 0-0 draw with Galatasaray.
The Belgian side currently sit ahead of Real in the standings, but for how long? Zinedine Zidane’s side will certainly expect to walk away victorious on Tuesday but, as they have seen far too often recently, things don’t always work out how they expect them to.
It will definitely be an intriguing encounter, and Opta have come through with all the juicy stats you need to know ahead of the game…
History on Club Brugge’s Side
Believe it or not, history actually suggests that Club Brugge know how to come out on top against the giants of La Liga.?
?Real and Club Brugge last met in the European Cup in 1976/77, with the Belgian side progressing 2-0 on aggregate back then.
The two teams played out a 0-0 draw at the Bernabeu that year – their only previous meeting in Madrid – can Club Brugge pull off something similar here?
Bogey Team
Real Madrid failed to find the net in their previous two games against Club Brugge. That makes them one of three sides that they’ve failed to score against in European competition alongside Ipswich (two games) and ?Arsenal (two games).
But Real Love Playing Belgians
They might not have the best form against Club Brugge, but Real usually know how to dominate Belgian sides.?
Real have won all three of their ?Champions League home matches versus Belgian opposition by aggregate score of 14-2. Indeed, Real’s last competitive home defeat to a Belgian side came back in December 1969 versus Standard Liege in the European Cup (W4 D1 L0 since).
Two Sides Struggling for Form
Neither side have looked overly impressive in Europe in recent seasons, and both teams will want their disappointing runs to come to an end sooner, rather than later.?
Real have lost their last two Champions League games at the Bernabeu (0-3 vs CSKA Moscow & 1-4 vs Ajax); their longest such losing run in Champions League or European Cup history.
As for Club Brugge, they have failed to score in 50% of their 18 Champions League away games, including in four of their last seven (W1 D1 L5). However, they’ve won as many points in their last two away games (4), as they had in their previous eight combined (W1 D1 L6).
An Unwanted Record
Real are looking to avoid losing three successive Champions League matches for the first time in their history. They haven’t lost three in a row in European competition since September 1981.
Zidane will demand that his side put an end to this torrid run of form, because a loss against Club Brugge could send monumental shock waves across the world.
Let’