CLUB BRUGGE KV VS GENK PREVIEW & PREDICTION
The first day of play in the play-offs ends with a game between the league leader Club Brugge and cup finalist KRC Genk. The daring favorite Club Brugge ended the competition with some doubts and are looking back for their superior form. With the big gap on the competition, a title can quickly become a fact. Can they make it true?
Club Brugge:
Until Club Brugge played as a machine. It barely gave away anything and played the competition in a heap. This has in particular ensured that the gap on competition is still so great. The first pursuer Anderlecht follows six points. That is the biggest difference since the playoffs made their appearance. After New Year Club Brugge had it a bit more difficult, their well-known dip, to take the three points.
It played the same way four times in a row. There was a little bit of doubt in the team, but they also knew that this had to do with some bad luck. The last two games were then simply ‘simply’ won against Kortrijk and Sint-Truiden respectively. Yet it was not too convincing and always with the smallest difference and a good number of goal attempts against.
Coach Ivan Leko knows that his team is no longer playing at their best level but is convinced that his team will play champion. “We are the best team and we will show that in the play-offs, we deserve to play champion, because the entire league has been at the lead with a nice lead over the rest.” He is right, although of course you buy nothing with it at the end of the ride.
Genk:
The board of Genk had the objective to achieve European football and compete in the top three. That is certainly possible given the selection and quality in the team. Nevertheless, Albert Stuivenberg could not manage it and Genk played good football, the points did not come. It ensured that Genk was positioned for a whole season between six and ten. The board itself said goodbye to Stuivenberg and knocked on behalf of Philippe Clément at Waasland-Beveren. He also came and took Ibrahim Seck, the then captain at Waasland-Beveren.
Clément immediately ensured that the points came to the Limburgers. On the penultimate matchday, they could also secure a place in the top six in the competition. Throughout the competition, they also qualified for the cup final they completed two weeks ago. Opponent there was Standard. In a very closed game we did not see any goals within ninety minutes. This gave us extensions. Just started and Emond managed to lead Standard in the lead. With a lot of time, Standard managed to pull the cup towards him. Genk remained frustrated because they honestly deserved the victory.
It will now have to go into full battle in play-off one to get another European ticket. In the meantime, the many injuries and absentees have been considerably thinned out. For example, Nikolaos Karelis himself played almost a full exhibition game for Greece and looks very fit. Only Heynen is the only one 100% not.
PREDICTION: Club Brugge KV to win @ 1.60
