The first leg of the 2024/25 Conference League playoff between Gent (Belgium) and Betis (Spain) will take place on February 13 at the Ghelamco Arena. Gent vs. Betis: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Gent
The Belgians finished 17th in the overall Conference League standings, securing three wins and suffering three losses. It is 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. The Northern Irish had not gained a single point in the main stage before this. Incidentally, Gent has reached the playoffs of this European competition for the fourth consecutive time, but 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 the club's last 8 Conference League games.
- Gent's uncompromising streak in this European competition stands at eight matches (5 wins and 3 losses).
- The Belgians have not lost in the first half in 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, Thibe de Vlieger – Frank Surdez, Andri Gudjohnsen.
Betis
The Seville side secured their place in the tournament playoffs only in the final round. Playing at home, they narrowly defeated modest HIK 1-0. Incidentally, in the fifth round, they beat Petrocub away by the same score. With ten points, the Spaniards finished 15th. It is also worth mentioning 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 10 of Seville's previous matches in this European competition.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score of Betis' last six Conference League matches.
- In 7 of the Spaniards' last 9 games in this tournament, one of the teams won the first half with a clean sheet.
Predicted lineup for 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.
Referee
Horatiu Fesnic (Romania)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 30;
Penalties – 50%.
Gent vs. Betis: Match Prediction
The Spaniards have not impressed in the Conference League. The team managed to advance in the tournament bracket only thanks to two victories at the end of the main stage. It is worth noting that the Seville side narrowly defeated teams from Moldova, Finland, and Slovenia by just one goal. However, they dropped points against opponents from more serious leagues. The Belgian league has a high club ranking, so Betis will face challenges in the first match.
Gent remains unbeaten at home for 17 matches in the Conference League. In this series of games, the team has secured 13 wins and 4 draws at home. In the last 13 home matches in this tournament, the club has scored at least two goals in 10 out of 90 minutes. Additionally, Betis has won only two of their last five away matches in this European competition, and those victories were against Kryvbas and Petrocub – opponents with minimal European experience.
My prediction – Gent to win or draw
