Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
On Friday, May 23, we are set for a relegation playoff clash in the top division of the Belgian championship. The opening whistle will sound at 20:45 Central European Time, and I have a betting tip for this encounter.
Cercle Brugge vs Patro Eisden: Match facts and head-to-head
- The first leg between these teams ended in a resounding 5-1 victory for Cercle Brugge.
- Cercle Brugge have lost only once in their last four home matches, winning the other three.
- Patro Eisden have suffered just one defeat in their previous six matches.
- In 83% of their matches this season, Cercle Brugge have scored more than 1.5 goals.
- Cercle Brugge have managed a clean sheet in only 13% of their games.
- Cercle Brugge are unbeaten against Patro Eisden in their last five encounters.
- The last time Patro Eisden defeated Cercle Brugge was way back in 2000 — their only win in the history of this rivalry.
Cercle Brugge vs Patro Eisden: Match preview
Cercle Brugge finished the regular Jupiler Pro League campaign in the lower half of the table. The team failed to climb higher and lost out on 12th place due to tiebreakers, forcing them into the relegation group. Moreover, Cercle fell two points short of Sint-Truiden and now have to fight for top-flight survival through the playoffs.
Patro Eisden secured fifth place in the Belgian Challenger Pro League standings, collecting 49 points from 28 rounds and earning a spot in the promotion playoffs. Their journey began in the first round, where they defeated SK Beveren 5-3. In the semifinals, Patro Eisden edged past Lokeren-Temse 2-1 on aggregate.
The first leg against Cercle Brugge ended in a dominant win for the latter: five goals scored and only one conceded.
Probable lineups
- Cercle Brugge: Warleson, Perrin, Magne, Diakité, Van der Bruggen, Ravic, Agikum, Eric Nuñez, Minda, Somers, Felipe Augusto
Prediction
This match no longer has anything at stake for either side. On home turf, I believe Cercle Brugge should claim another victory. Therefore, I recommend betting on their win at an excellent 1.74 odds.
