Kortrijk vs Knokke

Knokke's 72nd-minute goal could have shifted momentum, but Kortrijk's response inside five minutes — the 77th-minute strike — snuffed out any prospect of a fightback. The quick reply demonstrated the depth of Kortrijk's pre-season squad rotation, with the hosts able to maintain intensity despite fielding a changed side from their earlier fixture.

Kortrijk played two matches on 25 July: this 11:00 kick-off against Knokke followed by a 16:00 fixture against French side Amiens SC at the Guldensporenstadion, per the club's official pre-season schedule.

No individual goalscorer names were published in the official match data, which is common for lower-profile pre-season friendlies. The provider payload records five goals — Kortrijk scoring in the 40th, 53rd, 77th and 86th minutes, with Knokke's consolation arriving in the 72nd minute.

Kortrijk's attack was clinical: 10 of their 17 attempts hit the target. Their set-piece delivery generated 9 corners to Knokke's 3, per ua-football.com, suggesting a persistent threat from dead-ball situations.

Kortrijk's 10 shots on target from 17 attempts (58.8% accuracy) reflects a team that created good-quality chances rather than speculative efforts. Knokke managed 5 shots on target from 7 attempts, a higher conversion rate of attempts on frame, but simply could not match the volume of Kortrijk's attacking output.

Possession was near-even (49% Kortrijk, 51% Knokke per ua-football), which in a pre-season context suggests both sides used the match to work on build-up play rather than prioritising territorial dominance. The 9-3 corner count, however, points to Kortrijk spending more time in the final third.

This was Kortrijk's seventh pre-season outing of summer 2026, part of a schedule that began with lower-tier opposition (Marke, Lauwe, KVDO) before stepping up to face Club Brugge on 4 July. The Kerels also played Valenciennes and Harelbeke on 18 July in another double-header day.

Kortrijk's next friendly is against Amiens SC later on 25 July (16:00), followed by Jong Gent on 31 July and a fandag fixture against Stade de Reims on 1 August at Guldensporenstadion, per the club's official schedule.

Knokke continue their own pre-season preparations for the Belgian National Division 1 2026-27 campaign.

A comfortable, professional pre-season win for Kortrijk against a side two divisions below them. The quick response to Knokke's consolation was the most encouraging sign — discipline and focus held even after a rare defensive lapse. The double-header format (two matches in one day) suggests manager rotation is the priority, not the scoreline, but four goals from 17 shots represents good value regardless.