Champions League Matchday 1: Club Brugge vs Monaco facts

Club Brugge's seventh UEFA Champions League campaign in eight seasons begins with a home game against Monaco, who also reached last season's knockout rounds.

Last match

The teams' last meetings were in the 2018/19 group stage, when a 1-1 draw in Belgium on Matchday 3 was followed by a 4-0 away win for Club Brugge on Matchday 4.

Their only other encounters were in the 1988/89 European Cup second round when Monaco overturned a 1-0 away defeat with a 6-1 victory at home in the second leg.

That 4-0 triumph at Monaco in 2018 is Club Brugge's only victory in their last eight games against French clubs, home and away (D2 L5), and one of only two in the last 11 (D4 L5).

Monaco are unbeaten in their last three away matches against Belgian teams (W1 D2) but are without a win in four, home and away (D2 L2).

Club Brugge

This is Club Brugge's 12th Champions League group stage campaign – level with Anderlecht's Belgian record – and an eighth in ten seasons.

Twenty-fourth in last season's league phase (W3 D2 L3), Club Brugge beat Atalanta 5-2 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs before going out to Aston Villa in the round of 16 (1-3 h, 0-3 a).

Having not reached the knockout rounds in their first nine campaigns in the Champions League proper, Club Brugge have progressed from the group stage/league phase in each of the last two.

Club Brugge were 4-2 victors against Salzburg in this season's third qualifying round, winning 1-0 away and 3-2 at home, before easing past Rangers in the play-offs (3-1 a, 6-0 h).

Monaco

This is Monaco's 11th appearance in the Champions League proper – last season was their first since 2018/19.

The French club finished 17th in the league phase last season (W4 D1 L3) before being eliminated by Benfica in the knockout phase play-offs (0-1 h, 3-3 a).

Monaco have won their Matchday 1 fixture in four of their last seven Champions League campaigns (D1 L2). Last season they started the league phase with a 2-1 home victory against Barcelona.

Key stats

Club Brugge have lost only two of their last ten European group stage/league phase matches at home (W6 D2) – and only two in 17 home European games (W11 D4).

Blauw-Zwart have scored in 29 of their last 32 European matches.

Monaco have won only one of their last six Champions League matches (D1 L4).

Only one of Monaco’s last 70 European fixtures has finished goalless.