Club Brugge opened their Jupiler Pro League campaign with a comfortable 3:0 victory over Kortrijk on Friday evening. The hosts controlled proceedings from start to finish, with three goals separating the sides by the final whistle. Kortrijk have now lost all five of their matches this season, while Brugge moved to within three points of the top after their fourth consecutive win.
H. Vetlesen broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, firing home to give the home side an early lead. The visitors struggled to find rhythm, and Brugge doubled their advantage through C. Forbs just before the hour mark. N. Tresoldi sealed the result with a penalty in the 74th minute, converting after the referee pointed to the spot. J. Ndjeungoue picked up a yellow card for Kortrijk in the 44th minute, while F. Potts was cautioned for the hosts at 59 minutes.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided encounter. Brugge enjoyed 74 per cent possession and launched 122 attacks compared to Kortrijk's 44. The home side registered eight shots on target against three for the visitors, and created five big chances while Kortrijk managed just one. Brugge completed 701 passes from 778 attempts, while Kortrijk's accuracy stood at 189 from 276. The visitors made 24 tackles to Brugge's 15, but that defensive work could not stem the tide.
Brugge sit third in the table with 12 points from five games, their record reading four wins, no draws, and one defeat. Kortrijk occupy 18th place with zero points from five matches, having suffered five losses. The hosts had previously faced Kortrijk on 4 July, winning 4:2 in what was their most recent outing before this season's opener.
The result extends Brugge's winning streak to four matches and leaves Kortrijk searching for their first point of the campaign. Three goals and a clean sheet provide a firm foundation for the league leaders-to-be, while the visitors face a long road ahead with their goal difference already suffering at -12 from their opening fixtures.