Gent vs Maccabi Tel Aviv prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-04 16:45.
Belgian outfit Gent were left frustrated on matchday one of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL), as despite dominating for large periods, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Zorya Luhansk – conceding within three minutes of taking the lead! Manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck has guided the Buffalos into the knockout stages of this competition in each of its two iterations, with last season’s quarter-final exit their joint-best campaign in UEFA tournaments.
Gent have enjoyed a stellar start to the season on all fronts, losing just one of their 16 competitive matches (W10, D5) – a run which sees them sitting level on points with early league leaders Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium. Despite that, Vanhaezebrouck will be grateful their next fixture is at home, as his side are unbeaten in their last seven UECL matches at the Ghelamco Arena (W5, D2).
A first-ever H2H with Israeli opposition awaits, as Maccabi Tel Aviv look to build on a 3-2 matchday one victory over Breidablik. The Yellows have been in supreme form since Premier League legend Robbie Keane took over as head coach, remaining unbeaten in all 14 games this season (W11, D3), and they backed up their UECL victory with consecutive wins ‘to nil’ in the league since.
Maccabi missed out on qualifying for this tournament last season, but did reach the knockout stages of the UECL’s inaugural edition in 2021/22. A repeat of that could certainly be on the cards if the Yellows can maintain their solid away form in this competition, losing just three of their 13 UECL road trips (W4, D6).
Players to watch: Gent captain Sven Kums looks set to anchor the midfield, and he’s scored three times in the UECL group stage in previous years, with each of those strikes arriving after half-time. Fellow veteran Eran Zahavi has been in electric form this term, directly contributing to 13 goals in 12 appearances (G10, A3).
Hot stat: Five of Gent’s last six matches have been level at half-time.