Mansion Sports – The Champions League once again presents a match filled with intensity and significant implications. In the 2025/2026 season, Club Brugge will host Arsenal in a decisive matchday six encounter.

Scheduled to take place at the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday, 10 December 2025 at 21.00 local time, this match holds crucial importance for both sides.

On the cusp of securing a place in the 2025/2026 Champions League round of 16, undefeated Arsenal aim to confirm their qualification as they travel to face Club Brugge on Wednesday evening. 

The Gunners recently stunned Bayern Munich with a 3-1 victory on matchday five, while Club Brugge suffered a 3-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon and now stand on the brink of early elimination following a managerial change. 

Before the match begins, the following presents Mansion Sports’ predictions for the Club Brugge vs Arsenal lineups for December 2025.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Club Brugge

Separated by only two points from the Champions League playoff zone, Club Brugge have experienced a drastic decline in form since their surprising 4-1 victory over Monaco in the opening match of the season. Securing only one point from the 12 available in their recent Champions League fixtures—even though that point came from a spectacular 3-3 draw against Barcelona—Atalanta BC, Bayern, and Sporting Lisbon demonstrated their superiority over Club Brugge.

The heavy 3-0 defeat to Sporting on matchday five dropped Club Brugge to 26th place out of 36 participants, accompanied by unconvincing performances in their domestic league. 

Since that loss, Brugge were defeated 1-0 by Royal Antwerp and 3-2 by St Truiden, placing them in third position in the Jupiler Pro League standings with a five-point gap behind leaders Union SG. 

This series of negative results resulted in the dismissal of coach Nicky Hayen just two days before Club Brugge host Arsenal, and this match will mark the debut of Ivan Leko as head coach.

However, the home supporters still have reasons to remain hopeful, as Club Brugge are unbeaten in their last five Champions League league-phase matches at the Jan Breydel Stadium. 

Nonetheless, a record of 14 defeats from 18 matches against English clubs reflects the significant challenge awaiting them.

Arsenal

A meeting between two of Europe’s best-performing teams—based on the league-phase standings at the time—occurred on 26 November when Arsenal secured an important victory over Bayern Munich to maintain their perfect record. 

The Gunners did concede their first goal of the season following Lennart Karl’s equaliser, but the goal did not alter the final outcome, and Arsenal now stand alone at the top of the 36-team standings.

Last season, 16 points were enough to secure a place in the round of 16. Although various mathematical scenarios remain possible, an Arsenal victory in this match would almost certainly see them qualify directly without having to go through the playoffs. 

Mikel Arteta’s squad have already secured a minimum position in the playoff round and now pursue their tenth consecutive victory in the Champions League league phase, while also maintaining an unbeaten streak of ten matches against Belgian clubs. 

However, Arsenal have never begun a Champions League season with six straight victories in their history.

The pressure is heightened as they arrive in Bruges following a painful 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, which reduced Manchester City’s lead in the Premier League standings to two points.

Club Brugge vs Arsenal Lineups December 2025

Club Brugge (4-2-3-1)

Leko was initially at risk of being without his two main goalkeepers, Simon Mignolet and Nordin Jackers, who both missed the defeat to St Truiden. 

However, Mignolet has now returned. Defender Zaid Romero has also recovered from a back injury, but midfielder Lynnt Audoor (muscle), Ludovit Reis (shoulder), and forward Romeo Vermant (concussion) remain unavailable. 

Brugge can still field several promising young talents. Joel Ordonez (21 years old) has reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool, while Aleksandar Stankovic (20 years old), the son of Inter Milan legend Dejan Stankovic, is said to be on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar.

Arsenal (4-3-3)

Arsenal’s defensive line continues to be plagued by injuries. Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh), and William Saliba (knock) remain unavailable. 

Riccardo Calafiori also appeared to struggle as he left the pitch during the match against Aston Villa. 

If Calafiori is fit, he will likely start as he will be suspended in the Premier League, but Myles Lewis-Skelly is almost certain to feature in the starting lineup in Bruges.

Ethan Nwaneri, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres all have the opportunity to be included in the starting XI, while Mikel Merino must remain cautious as a yellow card would sideline him for the match against Inter Milan. 

Declan Rice is absent due to illness, while Leandro Trossard (knock) and Max Dowman (ankle) add to Arsenal’s concerns.

This match appears set to become one of the most compelling fixtures of matchday six. Club Brugge enter the contest with renewed dynamics following a managerial change, while Arsenal bring strong ambition to maintain their perfect record. 

It remains to be seen whether the home side can deliver a surprise or whether Arsenal will further solidify their dominance. 

Continue to follow the developments and do not miss any moment leading up to kick-off, as this encounter promises a storyline far too captivating to overlook.