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On the first day of the KDB Cup, some 6,500 spectators descended on Drongen for a day of youth football at the highest level. Besides the sporting aspect, many visitors were obviously looking forward to the arrival of Kevin De Bruyne himself. KDB arrived around noon to catch a few matches together with his sons.
Then it was time for a photo session with the fans. Golden tickets were used. Children under 13 were allowed to choose an envelope when entering and whoever found a golden ticket in it could have their photo taken with Kevin De Bruyne. That made for a lot of happy faces.
“I enjoy seeing how the tournament continues to grow. The level on the pitch is incredibly high and I'm happy to be able to catch some games this year too along with the many fans.” - Kevin De Bruyne
Exciting group stages
The sporting part then. The participants are clearly matched as only one team achieved in the group stage six out of six. In Group A, Sporting CP took the win, followed by KAA Gent. Borussia Dortmund finished last. In Group B, first place went to Club Brugge; Paris Saint-Germain also advanced to the quarter-finals. Manchester United finished third.
In Group C, AFC Ajax were the only ones to take maximum points. KRC Genk advanced to the quarter-finals from that group. Chelsea FC finished third. Finally, in Group D, the win was for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, followed by RSC Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven.
Four teams still in the running
The quarter-finals were the final piece of this KDB Cup Saturday. In it, Club Brugge beat KAA Gent after an exciting penalty-kick series, PSG won against Sporting CP 3-1, RSC Anderlecht took the win against AFC Ajax 1-0 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen also advanced to the semi-finals after a penalty-kick series against KRC Genk.
Tournament leader Carl De Clercq looks back on the first day with satisfaction: “Beautiful weather and an outstanding field of participants made our first tournament day an overwhelming success. Of course, it is always a highlight to welcome Kevin De Bruyne to our tournament. Apart from the sporting aspect, his presence every year is something the fans look forward to immensely.”
Heading towards grand finale on Sunday
The four semi-finalists are known, but the other teams will also play play-offs and placement matches tomorrow. So for spectators, there is still a lot to do on Sunday as well. The first matches start at 9 a.m., the semi-finals Paris Saint-Germain-RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge-Bayer 04 Leverkusen are scheduled for 12 noon, with the grand final kicking off at 4 p.m.
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