Cercle Brugge have been drawn away to Sporting Hasselt in the round of 16 of the Croky Cup. The match is scheduled for Friday 16 October with an 8.30pm kick-off.
The draw was conducted on Monday evening by former Belgian international Wesley Sonck. "The innocent hand of Wesley Sonck pulled the 32 balls from the drum on Monday evening," Sonck said afterwards. The tie represents an opportunity for Cercle Brugge to progress in the domestic cup competition. The team currently sits 17th in the Jupiler Pro League with three points from seven games.
Cup as an opportunity
Sporting Hasselt play in the Challenger Pro League, Belgium's second tier. The fixture offers Cercle Brugge a chance to build confidence after a difficult start to the season. Their last result was a 3-2 defeat to Charleroi on 19 September. The full standings show a 16-point gap to leaders Union Saint-Gilloise.
Other notable ties from the draw include city rivals Club Brugge facing Lokeren on Saturday 17 October. Anderlecht travel to Beerschot a day later. Union Saint-Gilloise will play KFC Nijlen, one of two non-top-flight teams with home advantage.
Focus on the coming weeks
For Cercle Brugge, focus first turns to the next league fixture. On Saturday 10 October, they host RSC Anderlecht at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Anderlecht are currently fifth. The last meeting between the sides, on 22 March, was a 3-2 victory for Cercle Brugge.
The cup match against Sporting Hasselt follows shortly after that important league encounter. It is a chance for the squad to put a positive spin on the season. The full squad list, including injury updates, is available on our squad page. The match on 16 October is Cercle Brugge's only chance this season to secure a cup win against a lower-division side away from home.
The report in full is at HLN Voetbal
