Lithuania international Edgaras Utkus kicked off his fifth season in the Belgian top flight with Cercle Brugge KSV by helping his team secure a 0-0 draw away to F.C.V. Dender in Saturday’s opening round of the Jupiler Pro League.
Last season was a challenging one for Cercle, who had to fight for top-flight survival via a relegation play-off against the second-tier promotion winners. They succeeded comfortably, winning the two-legged tie 8-2 on aggregate to retain their Pro League status.
Their opponents on Saturday, Dender, returned to Belgium’s top division last season after a 14-year absence and managed an impressive 10th-place finish.
In a match defined by defensive discipline and solid goalkeeping, neither side could find the breakthrough. Interestingly, this fixture ended 0-0 in their first meeting last season as well, with Cercle Brugge narrowly winning the second encounter 1-0.
Utkus played the full 90 minutes, forming a strong central defensive pairing with 22-year-old Belgian Christiaan Ravych. The clean sheet marks a promising start for the Lithuanian defender and his side, who begin the new campaign with a valuable away point.
Cercle Brugge now turn their focus to their first home game of the season next Sunday, when they host Belgian giants Anderlecht in what promises to be a major early-season test.
