Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
On May 1, 2025, another Belgian Pro League match will take place at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Brugge, featuring a clash between Brugge and Gent. I suggest a combined bet with a good chance of success.
Preview
Both teams are participating in the so-called championship playoffs, where the top six teams compete based on the results of the main league stage. Each team has four matches left to put the finishing touches on this season.
Brugge is in a fierce battle for a podium finish, just one point behind Union Saint-Gilloise. In the previous two rounds, Brugge managed to secure only one point in head-to-head matches with Union, significantly complicating their task—now it all depends on whether Union drops points by the end of the season. Otherwise, Brugge can only aim for second place, thus conceding the championship title.
However, even the second place, which grants a spot in the Champions League qualifiers, is still up for grabs. Genk, the winner of the main championship stage, is two points behind and has noticeably lost ground in recent matches.
After the encounter with Gent, Brugge is set to play in the Belgian Cup final, where they will face Anderlecht in Brussels. It's also worth noting that besides the trophy itself, the Belgian Cup winner receives a direct ticket to the Europa League group stage.
This fact may further motivate Gent for the remainder of the season. The team is at the bottom of the championship playoffs, sitting in sixth place. It's important to note that if both Belgian Cup finalists finish the championship in the top four, the fifth-place holder will receive a spot in the Conference League qualifiers. Gent is only two points behind Antwerp, who are in fifth place, promising an intense battle for the European competition zone until the very end of the season.
However, the only and most serious obstacle to returning to the fight for Europe remains Gent's form. The team has lost six of their last seven matches, which understandably leaves them at the bottom of the playoff standings.
Probable lineups
- Brugge: Mignolet, Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper, Vetlesen, Jashari, Tzolis, Vanaken, Talbi, Jutgla
- Gent: Vandenberghe, De Meyer, Watanabe, Torunarigha, Araujo, Gandelman, Delorge-Knipen, Braun, Ito, Goure, Vanzeir
Match facts and H2H
- This season, the teams have already met three times. Each side secured one away victory, and a draw was recorded on Gent's field with a score of 1-1.
- Gent is experiencing serious problems with creating and converting goal-scoring opportunities. Over the last six matches, the team has scored just one goal.
- During the same period, Gent conceded 18 goals, which is by far the worst record among all championship playoff participants.
- In the last five head-to-head matches on Brugge's field, the "both teams to score" bet has only won once.
Prediction
Brugge is in more stable form and continues to fight for the championship, while Gent is undergoing a significant downturn, especially in their attacking play. Given the visitors' poor finishing and the overall head-to-head statistics, a bet on Brugge's victory and a total match score of less than 3.5 goals looks optimal. I believe the hosts may play cautiously, carefully managing their energy, as they have the Belgian Cup final against Anderlecht coming up this Sunday.
