The first leg of the 2024/25 Conference League playoff between Gent (Belgium) and Real Betis (Spain) will take place on February 13 at the Ghelamco Arena. Gent vs. Real Betis: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Gent
The Belgians finished 17th in the overall stage standings of the Conference League, with three wins and three losses. It's worth noting that the team had excellent chances to qualify directly for the round of 16, but unexpectedly lost 0-1 away to Larne in the final round. Before that, the Northern Irish had not earned a single point in the main stage. Incidentally, Gent has reached the playoffs of this European competition for the fourth consecutive time, and last season they were stopped in the playoffs by Maccabi Haifa (1-1 and 0-1).
In January, Daniel Milicevic was appointed as the new head coach.
- At least one team failed to score in 6 of Gent's last 8 Conference League matches.
- Gent's uncompromising series in this European competition stands at eight matches (5 wins and 3 losses).
- The Belgians have not lost in the first half of their last six home matches in this tournament (3 wins and 3 draws).
Predicted lineup for Gent (4-4-2)
Davy Roef – Archie Brown, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Stefan Mitrovic, Thiago Araujo – Omri Gandelman, Sven Kums, Atsuki Ito, Tibe de Vlieger – Frank Surdez, Andri Gudjohnsen.
Real Betis
The Seville side secured their playoff spot only in the final round. Playing at home, they narrowly defeated modest HJK 1-0. Incidentally, they also won 1-0 away against Petrocub in the fifth round. With ten points, the Spaniards finished 15th. It's also worth noting that Betis matches in the overall stage had the fewest goals scored on average, 1.8. Last season, the club also played at this stage but did not advance further, losing to Dinamo Zagreb on aggregate (1-1 and 0-1).
Defender Aitor Ruibal will miss the match due to suspension.
- A maximum of three goals were scored in all of Betis's last 10 matches in this European competition.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score of Betis's last six Conference League matches.
- In 7 of Betis's last 9 matches in this tournament, one team led with a clean sheet at halftime.
Predicted lineup for Real Betis (4-2-3-1)
Adrian Castillo – Nathan, Diego Llorente, Ricardo Rodriguez, Aitor Ruibal – Joao Cardoso, Sergi Altimira – Assane Diao, Chimy Avila, Abde Ezzalzouli – Cedric Bakambu.
Match Prediction: Gent vs. Real Betis
The Spaniards have not impressed in the Conference League. The team managed to progress further in the tournament bracket thanks to just two wins at the end of the main stage. It's worth noting that Betis narrowly defeated teams from Moldova, Finland, and Slovenia by just one goal. However, they dropped points against opponents from more competitive leagues. The Belgian tournament has a high club ranking, so Betis will face challenges in the first match.
Gent remains unbeaten at home in 17 Conference League matches. In this series of games, the team has recorded 13 wins and 4 draws. Furthermore, in the last 13 home matches in this tournament, the club has scored at least two goals in 10 of them after 90 minutes. Additionally, Betis has only won two of their last five away matches in this European competition, with victories over Kryvbas and Petrocub – opponents with minimal European experience.
My prediction – Gent to win or draw
NK Celje
APOEL
TSC
Jagiellonia
Víkingur Reykjavík
Panathinaikos
Molde
Shamrock Rovers
Copenhagen
Heidenheim
Omonia
Pafos
Borac Banja Luka
Olimpija Ljubljana
