The return legs of the Europa League play-offs on Thursday and there are a host of matches taking place.
There are some big names in Europe’s second-tier tournament in 2010 and former European Cup winners Feyenoord will be hoping to secure their passage into the group stages. The Dutch giants take a narrow 1-0 lead across the border to Gent and I expect them to advance.
Feyenoord finished only fourth in the Eredivisie last season, some way off Ajax and FC Twente who fought out the title race, but Mario Been’s men lost only five games during the entire campaign and they really should have gone an awful lot closer.
Twelve draws ultimately cost Feyenoord any chance of landing the biggest prize but they proved tough to beat and also boasted a terrific away record.
The 2002 Uefa Cup winners won eight times on the road and, while they have begun the new term only adequately, should have enough about them to avoid defeat in Belgium.
Feyenoord’s opponents on Thursday ended the Jupiler regular season 20 points behind runaway winners Anderlecht and gained their place in the Champions League qualifiers thanks to a second place finish in the Belgian playoffs.
Gent, who have very little recent European pedigree to speak of, were soundly beaten 6-1 by Dynamo Kyiv over two legs, however, and are clearly limited at this level.
A 10-2 thumping at the hands of Roma in the corresponding stage of this tournament 12 months ago further underlines that and Gent were far from impressive on home soil last season.
Just seven wins in front of their own fans was a disappointment and Francky Dury, who guided his side to domestic cup triumph in the spring, is bound to be concerned defensively.
Gent, remarkably, failed to keep a single clean sheet in 14 regular season matches on home soil last season and, having posed little threat seven days ago in the first leg, were that trend to continue then surely Feyenoord would avoid defeat.
Gent have started the new campaign with three victories from their opening four matches but a humiliating 4-0 reversal at home versus Genk highlighted their frailties and Feyenoord will be more than confident about finding the host’s net.
Surely Gent should be at least 2.50 to claim the win they need to stand any chance of progressing but, as short as 2.00 with Paddy Power, they must be opposed at the prices.
2pts Lay Gent (vs. Feyenoord) @ 2.20 (Betfair)