Preud´homme ready for ´special´ clash with old enemy Porto

Club Brugge head coach Michel Preud’homme wants his side to lay down a marker in Europe when they take on Porto on Tuesday.

The Belgian champions have endured a tough start to their Champions League campaign this season, losing 3-0 at home to Leicester City on matchday one before going down 4-0 against Copenhagen.

Brugge host Porto knowing that a third defeat will leave them facing a huge task to reach the knockout stage, and Preud’homme – who spent five years as a player with Porto’s arch-rivals Benfica – believes now is the time for his players to prove their mettle in continental football.

“It is special to play against Porto,” he said. “I don’t have to explain that they were our big rivals in my time at Benfica.

“But I do not think they are less stronger at this moment. Not at all. Through the years they have bought and sold players but still always manage to deliver good quality in their matches.

“I’ve said it often – the regular league is more important for us in the long run, but we’re playing in the Champions League now and that is the highest platform to show yourself as a team.

“We have to give everything to achieve a result here because our goal is to make our name in Europe. We haven’t succeeded in that before now.

“We always want to go forward. In every match in the group so far, we have had the first big chance of the game: against Leicester at home, [Jose] Izquierdo got into a free position to take on the goalkeeper and in Copenhagen it was the same with Claudemir when it was still 0-0.

“We will try to do the same against Porto. Who knows if it will work out this time?”