Football
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Brugge's Vossen ahead of Leicester clash: 'People are laughing at us'

Club Brugge striker Jelle Vossen admits the Belgian side are being mocked as a Champions League laughing stock.

The former Middlesbrough and Burnley forward wants to avoid a club record fifth straight European defeat in a season ahead of their Group G game at Leicester on Tuesday.

Bottom-placed Brugge are winless in Europe and have conceded 10 goals, scoring just once, with their nightmare campaign starting with a 3-0 home defeat to the Foxes in September.

They have lost 10 of their previous 12 games in England, with their last victory over any English team a 1-0 first-leg success against Chelsea in the 1994-95 Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinal.

A draw would send Leicester through to the last 16, but Vossen wants to spoil their party and end Brugge's wretched run.

He said: "It's never nice to be on zero points, overall we deserve more than that. It's a pity we are on zero points, it's something some people are laughing at and it's something we want to get rid of soon.

"We were very close to the level of the other teams and have enough confidence to go for a victory.

"Leicester are still the champions of England, they play direct football and have a lot of speed and power. We have to have the guts to play our football. They didn't steal the title last season, they haven't lost any of their quality.''

Boss Michel Preud'homme is without Bjorn Engels, who injured his shoulder in the defeat to Leicester two months ago, and Abdoulaye Diaby is sidelined with a groin problem, while Ruud Vormer is banned.

Leicester lost their sixth game of the season, 2-1 against Watford, on Saturday, but Preud'homme believes the Foxes' struggles -- they sit two points above the bottom three -- are down to the quality of the Premier League.

"It's to do with the level of England. The level of the Premier League is so high even if they are a little bit less [on their game] they are still very good in Europe,'' he added.

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