Anderlecht vs Ferencvaros prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-09-24 19:00.
[p]Anderlecht and Ferencváros are both amongst the outsiders to progress beyond the new league stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League after having to start from the preliminary qualifying rounds, but it still promises to be a special occasion for the Belgian club after several years away from Europe’s second-tier club competition. They’ve had a less than ideal preparation though, dismissing head coach Brian Riemer for “insufficient” performances.[/p]
[p]A return of just three wins from their first seven league games (D3, L1) proved his downfall, and just 48 hours after he was given the post, caretaker David Hubert jovially declared “coaching is my thing” despite being disappointed with the lack of firepower in a 0-0 draw at home to Charleroi at the weekend. It was a fourth straight game without victory (D3, L1), and with just five goals to their name across six competitive home outings this season, Hubert perhaps shouldn’t expect an immediate transformation in their results. [/p]
[p]Ferencváros therefore could be meeting them at the best possible time. They enter this competition on an even keel with their Belgian counterparts having qualified via the play-off round alongside them, but have the slight advantage of completing a full season of continental football last season when they reached the knockout phase of the Conference League. [/p]
[p]Recent seasons prior to that suggest they may find the step up in grade difficult, especially when travelling. When excluding the triumph of the penalty shootout that followed, their 1-1 play-off round draw with Borac Banja Luka took their away record in all Europa League football since the start of 2021/22 to an unenviable W1, D1, L7 – a psychological hurdle they’ll hope to overcome as they seek to preserve their unbeaten record against Belgian opposition (W2, D4)[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Anderlecht need a return to scoring form from forward Francis Amuzu, who has not struck since delivering their winner at home to Dinamo Minsk earlier this season, especially as he has never lost a senior professional match when finding the target (W20, D3). Barnabás Varga, who was Ferencváros’ only goal scorer against Borac Banja Luka, also found the net at the weekend for his tenth consecutive winning scoring appearance. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Eight of Anderlecht’s last nine UEFA games produced under 2.5 total goals. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]