Genk vs Ferencvaros prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-25 19:00.
The battle for supremacy in Group F of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) will begin to intensify when Belgium’s Genk hosts Hungary’s Ferencváros on matchday three. The two clubs are tied at the top of the table with four points apiece after two matches, having both posted victories over Serbian club Čukarički whilst drawing 2-2 with last season’s UECL runners-up Fiorentina. The winner of this fixture will therefore gain an enormous advantage, particularly if the head-to-head tiebreaker comes into play!
For Genk, that would see them take a huge leap towards new heights in what is their first UECL group stage, having missed out on European football altogether last season after finishing last in their UEFA Europa League (UEL) group the season prior. Home spectators at the Cegeka Arena will be hoping the club can secure what would be just their second win from their last 13 European home matches (D5, L6).
Ferencváros will face Belgian opposition for the first time this century, also being the first Hungarian club of the last decade to take on Genk in UEFA football. Protecting their undefeated record against Belgian clubs prior to then (W2, D2) will be the last thing on the mind of manager Dejan Stanković as he looks to balance this difficult trip with a crucial league encounter against fellow title contenders Újpest next weekend.
Stanković will have some confident players at his disposal for this fixture, most notably the trio who took to the field (Dénes Dibusz, Endre Botka and Barnabás Varga) in Hungary’s upset Euro 2024 qualification win over his own national team, Serbia. Ferencváros are pursuing back-to-back UEFA group stage successes one season after topping their UEL group, but eight losses from their last nine away group stage matches in UEFA tournaments (W1) suggests there’s more work to do.
Players to watch: Genk’s Joseph Paintsil will be taking on former employers Ferencváros with the advantage of three of his four goals this season coming from home. The early impact could come from the aforementioned Hungarian forward Varga, who has scored 11 first half goals in his last 14 appearances for club or country.
Hot stat: Ferencváros led at half-time in all but one of their last 12 games across all competitions.